Only weak refereeing and bending the rules can win Origin III for Queensland

Bending the rules is the best hope for Queensland as they face the might and speed of New South Wales in Origin III - and the planets have aligned for that to happen writes PAUL KENT.

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Wayne Bennett, as cunning as an outhouse rat, was on the paddock on one of those sunny Gold Coast mornings, the kind where the sun can’t shine bright enough and the eyes squint in angry protest.

Bennett had his Queensland Maroons stretched in front of him and his foot on the ball, lifting it occasionally, and each time the foot came up the Maroons charged off their line with noise and aggression.

This was 2001, after NSW squared the series 26-8 in game two and Bennett was in the midst of one of his self-imposed silent movies, refusing to speak to the media or anyone bearing any resemblance.

Maybe that’s how I made it in.

I found myself sitting in a small grandstand squinting into the sun, watching Bennett lift his foot from the ball.

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Queensland must slow down the ruck. AAP Image/Darren England.

Back then the rule said defensive lines had to remain static until the ball cleared the ruck.

That was fine, but Bennett saw the Blues jumping the line early in game two and was not too pleased at the inaction from the referees, who failed to adjudicate as the Blues dominated, so now he was coaching his boys to do the same in the decider.

When the session was finished Bennett walked over and sat down.

“What are you doing with the play-the-ball?” I asked.

“The Blues kept jumping early in that last game,” he said.

“So you’re teaching them to do the same?”

“No,” he said. “But if they do it again then we’re going to do it too. But you can’t tell them on the run in the game.

“They have to train for it. If you get them doing it now they can adjust during the game.”

Queensland came off their line often and early in the third game and won going away, 40-14.

Ruck interpretation is as vital now as it was back then.

Will the refs allow Queensland to run riot. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images.

It matters in this one because Queensland’s best hope is to slow down the NSW play-the-ball which they can best do through slightly illegal spoiling tactics and which, given the current state of the referees, has every chance of being allowed.

Queensland’s opportunity is that the referees are in small crisis.

NRL head of football Graham Annesley admitted Monday the referees are out of form and little that could be done about it.

“We would actually be worse off if we dropped them,” he said in part, “because we don’t have better referees to replace them.”

Until Tuesday, when the outrage around the game finally saw referees Gavin Badger and Adam Gee dropped after they failed to stop the game for a concussed Peta Hiku, among other failings.

It is far from Annesley’s only problem.

The lack of confidence among the referees is being reinforced by the match review committee’s failure to support them with strong decisions.

Will the referees stand up to Queensland? AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

The MRC has lost all sense of perspective and courage. Charges seem to be laid with the intention of causing least offence. The game’s integrity runs a far second.

Kyle Flanagan kneed Matt Lodge in the head, deliberately, on Sunday. He got charged with the lowest grading possible.

Flanagan took the early plea and will not miss a game.

When did the game lose its way? Why, when the concussion debate has put the spotlight on player safety more than ever, has the game rolled on its back looking for a belly tickle?

The MRC has lost its way.

Fifteen years ago Greg Bird kneed Shane Marteene and got immediately sent off. The match review panel referred him for striking and the judiciary gave him 10 weeks.

Flanagan did not even receive the more serious charge of striking, but the lesser charge of dangerous contact. The match review committee, as weak as English tea, argued it was because it was on the low end of force.

Flanagan was not suspended for kneeing Lodge.

Tell Lodge that.

The lack of confidence in the process and structure is undermining the referees, who lack support from those higher up.

Coaches remain too clever, consistently out-coaching the officials.

In football terms, it gives Queensland its best hope.

Like the Blues in 2001, NSW doesn’t intend to change too much from what worked in Game II to what they hope will work in Game III.

Back then, though, Queensland assumed also as much and adjusted.

NSW will still try to capitalise on Damien Cook out of dummy-half on the back of quick play-the-balls with the likes of James Tedesco following, Mitch Pearce and Jimmy Maloney there to cut loose.

Queensland’s chance of winning will be determined by their ability to control NSW through the ruck through wrestling tactics and other spoilers to slow the Blues down.

They’ve picked the team for it.