James Maloney knows New South Wales can’t waste the chance to punish Queensland
JAMES Maloney knows the Blues won’t get a better chance at winning an Origin opener than now, with Queensland reeling following a host of withdrawals.
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IT’S our time.
No more excuses. We need to kick Queensland while they’re down.
That’s not a cute and fluffy attempt to have the Origin juices flowing by 8pm tonight.
It’s the unfiltered — make or break — opinion of fed-up NSW five-eighth James Maloney.
“When you look at it, there is no better time to try to attack Queensland than now,’’ Maloney said.
“You look at the guys they are missing.
“There is no doubt the guys they bring in are high quality players and they’re going to be tough.
“And if you think you are going to walk all over them, you are dreaming.
“But there is no way the guys that they are missing, doesn’t help us in some way.’’
Tonight on the MCG, the Blues playmaker and goal-kicker runs out for his 10th Origin in sky-blue having first made his debut in 2013.
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Origin series defeat blots an otherwise privileged career, loaded with two NRL premierships and World Cup matches in the green and gold.
Questioned and criticised for his defence prior to being selected, Maloney said he would be “filthy’ if he was overlooked by NSW coach Brad Fittler.
“And I would’ve been,’’ Maloney says now.
“I thought my footy was at a good point and I thought I had done what I needed to do. I would have been filthy.’’
Hidden beneath the passionate comments is a burning regret of having never lifted the Origin shield.
And it’s that empty regret which is driving an emotional Maloney towards victory.
“(Never winning the series) It is one thing that still drives you for sure,’’ Maloney said.
“It is nice to be able to say you played Origin footy.
“But at the end of the day it is not about just playing it, you need to succeed at it.’’
“I have had a few cracks at it and been very close.
“Their have almost been deadset two points between us in every series.
“There is a whisker in it. You would hopefully think without Smith, Thurston and Cronk — guys like that — you would be able to find those extra two points.’’
Alongside Penrith teammate rookie halfback Nathan Cleary, Maloney has worked overtime during camp with immortal Andrew Johns to plot the downfall of Queensland.
But he’s also taken the reigns alone in a leadership role — a status, which he admits has developed organically at Penrith.
“There is probably only a handful of guys here who have that experience,’’ Maloney said.
“We are such a young side it is something you have to take on.
“The lucky thing is I have gone out to Penrith this year where I have had a similar role with a lot of young guys.
“That has probably given me a bit of a leadership role and responsibility.
“That’s something I have been enjoying.
“Freddie had a chat to a few of us and said that is what we need.
“I think it is almost a natural feel.
“It is where you are — you have played nine times before and everyone else is doing it for the first time.
“That’s the role I have to fill into.
“I’m at a point where I’m comfortable with that.
“We’ve all got to put it into actions now.’’