NSW playmaker James Maloney too cool for Origin curse

BAREFOOT, James Maloney walked through the hotel lobby. His shorts were slung low. Plain white shirt, untucked.

James Maloney

BAREFOOT, James Maloney walked through the hotel lobby.

His shorts were slung low. Plain white shirt, untucked. All up, exuding exactly the type of calm required when up against an Origin hoodoo stretching back to ... well, forever.

Yep, at 2pm yesterday, the NSW Origin side had never won with a debutant five-eighth. From Alan Thompson way back in 1980, it was a curse carried by no less than Brett Kenny, Laurie Daley, even Brad "Freddie" Fittler.

So as he ambled towards the front desk of the Pullman Hotel - for exactly what it was impossible to know - you reckoned that, just maybe, there was a chance this knockabout bushie from the Ourimbah Magpies was ready.

Ready for the curse, for Queensland and for 80,380 fans who, within a few hours, would comprise the largest Origin I crowd ever.

Certainly, cruising about the foyer like he was into week three of a Balinese holiday, it was impossible to imagine this was the same bloke who, when asked how he felt in a team meeting the night before, had told all and sundry: "I'm ready to f...en kill 'em."

Nor did Maloney look the bloke who, over the opening 40 minutes, would so energetically take this game by the scruff of the neck. Providing the steadying hand in a half of tries, stinks, headbutts, even an attempted pitch invasion.

Indeed, for the past couple of hours, the entire Blues side had milled around the foyer looking mellower than a Sunday school picnic. More laid-back than a Jason recliner.

Finding a Steeden from seemingly behind his ear, Maloney lobbed passes in the lobby to, first, Blake Ferguson. Next up, Mitchell Pearce.

James Maloney

He even threw a couple to Freddy, who just happened to be wearing the coolest boardies sighted on anyone since Big Wednesday.

Call it the calm before the storm. Take Michael Jennings, who ambled as if sleepwalking.

In the lead-up to this game Jennings was asked if he was, despite suggestions to the contrary out Penrith way, a $600,000 player.

"More," was the response.

After what he produced after 37 minutes - those jinking, stepping, fending 15m subsequently capped by pushing through some 200kg of Queenslanders to score - well, it would take better than an Oxford debate team to argue it.

Moments after Jennings scored, Twitter lit up like Willie Nelson at band practice. Paralympian Kurt Fearnley: "Freak." IBF world champion Daniel Geale: "Brilliant."

And what about Paul Gallen? Tired of Queensland forward Nate Myles leading "series after series" with his head, the Blues skipper decided to use his fist.

By the time this one was done, Myles had taken more hits than Coopercronk.com following his "fire in the village" sermon.

Had you been at the Pullman Hotel around noon, you would've heard from a certain Blues staffer how the stink was the surest bet since Fine Cotton. You just wouldn't have picked it.