State of Origin 2016: Blues rookies struggle in Origin arena

IT was a mixed bag for the Blues’ Generation Next in Game 1, and Penrith’s Matt Moylan did it toughest with two botched Cronk bombs.

MATT Moylan is sure to have nightmares about Cooper Cronk’s right boot.

Two botched attempts trying to diffuse Cronk bombs will be how Moylan most likely remembers his debut.

The bobbles did not lead to tries.

Moylan looked calm but made a couple of noticeable errors.

In the fair dinkum department, they are unlikely to cost him his NSW No.1 jumper for game two.

Sure, gun fullback James Tedesco makes his return from a shoulder injury on Sunday, but Moylan deserves at least a second chance at Suncorp Stadium.

There can be no denying of the four NSW debutants, including Josh Mansour, Adam Reynolds and Dylan Walker, Moylan did it the toughest.

The Penrith skipper did not have a shocker.

He aimed up in defence, put his body on the line, snuck a couple of offloads and always looked a threat when hitting the line with speed on the left edge.

The Penrith skipper certainly deserves a shot in Game 2.

But the two poor misses under the high ball will prove a talking point.

Origin is all about moments - and Moylan produced two forgettable ones.

Cronk sent up one of his floating bombs from inside his own half in the 17th minute, and Moylan could only stand flat-footed as the ball came down between him and winger Blake Ferguson.

For a brief moment it appeared Moylan may have lost sight of the ball.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Moylan darted back to collect the ball, but coughed it up in his own in-goal area. He was able to ground the ball before a flying Johnathan Thurston and Darius Boyd arrived.

As Blues’ fans were taking their seats after half-time, Cronk sent another one to the heavens and watched a leaping Moylan again make a meal of it. He tried to grasp the ball but failed to do so, only for a melee to erupt.

Mansour always looked dangerous with the ball.

It was impossible to ignore another mis-read between Ferguson in the second half, then a fourth bobble later in the game.

Moylan deserves to be given a crack for the second game.

Fellow Panthers’ first-timer Mansour looked right at home on the big stage, and channelled Parramatta’s Semi Radradra when he returned the ball and sprinted straight over the top of O’Neill, appearing to knock him senseless.

Mansour is always most dangerous when given a chance to build up a head of steam on the first or second tackle, and his 20m charge towards O’Neill was sadly one of the few moments the Maroons allowed him to do so.

Reynolds’ kicking game was effective, especially in the first half, while Waker’s blink-and-you-miss-it nine-minute cameo made it impossible to stamp his mark.

Coach Laurie Daley said the four rookies would get better, as would the remainder of the pack.