NSW cannot let Queensland dictate the game in Origin decider
Too often NSW let Queensland set the agenda on how Origin football should be played. That’s why, in Game 3, the Blues’ ball-playing forwards and creative halves shouldn’t be afraid to do what they do best, writes MATTY JOHNS.
Sam Burgess nailed it.
Interviewing him for my podcast last week I asked Sam his thoughts on Origin II.
Burgess has a unique perspective. A man who supports the Blues, but with no real emotional investment, he gave an outsider’s view on not just the match, but the dynamics of State of Origin football.
“If it’s a typical Origin game, that suits Queensland, they play Origin great. But NSW are a great football team. Origin II wasn’t a typical Origin game, so it suited the Blues.”
So true
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Too often NSW let Queensland set the agenda on how Origin football should be played.
We talk about beating them in the arm wrestle, winning all the effort areas, gaining victory in those little one per-centers which make all the difference.
Too often we forget about playing football.
Particularly when the game gets tight, as the match heads towards the high rollers room. When mistakes and errors of judgment define the result, we allow the contest to become a middle-field battle of pure physicality.
What Queensland see as Origin football.
LISTEN! Matty is back with Finchy and Kenty to talk Origin teams, Sticky’s best feuds, playmaker protection and the day Matty met Liam and Noel Gallagher.
In game one, NSW’s first half was dominant. They moved the ball, were positive off offloads and looked headed for victory.
But in the second half Queensland upped the ante physically and we allowed ourselves to be bullied into playing negatively.
The offloads stopped, we ran one out, we tried to hold off defeat rather than getting out there and winning the football game.
There’s a big difference.
In game two changes were made, both in the makeup and outlook of the team.
They decided to play football, David Klemmer was out through injury, Paul Vaughan went back to the bench and the onus went from simply trying to win the yardage game, to forwards using the football.
The likes of Jake Trbojevic and Dale Finucane avoided just resetting the middle and were able to open the field up by simply passing the ball on. It slowly pried open Queensland’s middle and from there Damien Cook, James Tedesco and Tom Trbojevic “played football.”
In the second half, the Blues double-downed on this tactic and with the introduction of Cameron Murray and the brilliant Wade Graham, the football never stopped and rarely did the scoreboard.
Queensland weren’t themselves, because we dictated the terms of the contest.
It became more than just a battle of effort and energy.
So it explains the reason why, initially, Klemmer, our best yardage forward, was left out of the 17.
Danny Buderus spoke on NRL 360 about Klemmer’s exclusion by saying, “It was about the balance of the team.”
What he was saying was that it was about having the balance between yardage forwards and creative ones.
It’s more than the 6’s and 7’s responsibility to generate enterprise.
So often in past defeats we lay the blame on halves for not being creative enough or not making the big plays in the big moments.
But the blame lay more in our system of play.
Mitchell Pearce coming into this side to partner James Maloney, brings an extra layer of creativity in the halves.
But it shouldn’t suppress the ball playing of forwards Trbojevic, Finucane and Graham.
Forward creativity takes the pressure off the halves and will allow Pearce the freedom to attack Queensland with his running.
The conditions at ANZ are a little tricky, both the playing surface and the ball are slippery, but the greatest risk for NSW is to not take risks at all.
To simply grind and arm wrestle plays to Queensland’s advantage.
The Maroons blunder that is now etched in Origin folklore
The Maroons have had their courage questioned in a way no other Queensland side have before, writes MATTY JOHNS, which is why NSW would be foolish to not expect a fight in Origin II.
Why are the Titans laughing if the joke’s on them?
When the Gold Coast Titans sought to clap back at critics of embattled coach Des Hasler, all they managed to achieve was to smack themselves in the face, writes BRENT READ.