Wally Lewis fears for Queensland’s future amid below par NRL results

QUEENSLAND has recorded it’s worst NRL finals results in half a decade and Wally Lewis believes that’s a huge concern for the Maroons Origin future.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Josh McGuire and Darius Boyd of the Broncos look on after a Dragons try during the NRL Elimination Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the St George Illawarra Dragons at Suncorp Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

MAROONS legend Wally Lewis holds concerns for Queensland’s Origin future following the Sunshine State’s worst NRL finals finish in five years.

The Broncos’ 48-18 capitulation to the Dragons on Sunday ensured Queensland’s three NRL clubs are sipping on pina coladas three weeks before the grand final.

Not since the Cowboys were knocked out in week one of the 2013 finals series, which Brisbane didn’t qualify for, has Queensland suffered such a poor finish to the NRL season.

Queensland was the king of the NRL in 2015 after the Broncos and Cowboys fought out one of the greatest grand finals in the game’s history.

The Broncos made last year’s preliminary finals while North Queensland went on a fairytale run all the way to the grand final.

The normally consistent Broncos fell apart. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images.

But the Maroons’ three-year Origin winning streak ended this year with a 2-1 loss while the Cowboys (13th), Titans (14th) and Broncos (sixth) had below-par seasons.

Strong Queensland clubs lead to a solid stream of Maroons players and ‘The King’ Lewis said the state’s NRL struggles could flow into the Origin arena next year.

“It’s something we haven’t seen for quite some time,” the 34-Origin legend said.

“The best placed side getting knocked out in week one of the finals is definitely a cause for concern.

“These things come along every now and then.”

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The Cowboys never really got going in Johnathan Thurston’s final season and were in wooden spoon contention before finding some form in the last month.

The Gold Coast showed some glimpses of improvement but were ultimately a long way off clinching their first finals appearance since 2016.

The Broncos were never in the top four at any stage throughout the season, but won their last three games to secure a home final.

However Brisbane’s premiership tilt came to a grinding halt when they were blown away by the Dragons at Suncorp Stadium to lose a knockout final by 30 points for the second straight year.

North Queensland narrowly avoided the wooden spoon. Picture: Alix Sweeney.

The Broncos are stuck in the longest premiership drought in the club’s history, having last won a title in 2006, and Lewis said the drama surrounding coach Wayne Bennett’s future was affecting the club.

“There has been some drama attached to the Broncos which probably didn’t provide the best buildup for them as they approached the finals,” he said.

“I see a period of difficulty for the Broncos as long as the continuous drama goes on.

“Is the coach going to stay? Is he going to go? The drama with (CEO) Paul White that’s reared its ugly head.

“It’s (12-year premiership drought) not a period I expected to see.

“When you look at the period of dominance the Broncos enjoyed, the first year they weren’t in the finals any higher than week one or two, people were predicting it was the beginning of the end.

The Titans are perennial stragglers. AAP Image/Dave Hunt.

“When they came back in and made the grand final against the Cowboys, I thought this was a period of excellence for Queensland rugby league but it didn’t last too long at all

“It’s some concern but only time will tell.”

The Cowboys made seven straight appearances in the finals, including grand finals in 2015 and 2017, before this year’s fadeout.

Lewis said it would take time for North Queensland to overcome the loss of four-time Dally M Medal champion Thurston.

“The Cowboys are going into life without Thurston and it will certainly take them some time,” he said.

“But they have got Michael Morgan.”

Luckily for Queensland the Maroons-stacked Melbourne Storm will play a fourth straight home preliminary final at AAMI Park next week against either Cronulla or Penrith.

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