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Queensland defeats NSW in Origin III at Suncorp Stadium

NO ONE was hurting more than NSW captain Boyd Cordner after the Blues’ crushing loss last night, but he managed to come up with the perfect reply.

James Matthey
14 min read
July 13, 2017 - 7:05AM
Boyd Cordner was classy in defeat.
Boyd Cordner was classy in defeat.

Live: Origin III, Queensland vs NSW at Suncorp Stadium

Queensland claimed bragging rights for the next 12 months by defeating NSW in the Origin decider to win the series 2-1.

THE people you didn’t see highlighted just how special Queensland’s achievement this year was.

As the Maroons celebrated yet another Origin series win on the Suncorp Stadium turf — courtesy of a 22-6 victory over the Blues on Wednesday night — there was something different about a sight that’s become so familiar over the past decade.

While Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater were there, others weren’t. There was no Johnathan Thurston, no Greg Inglis, no Darius Boyd and no Matt Scott. But it didn’t matter to a Queensland side that thrives on adversity.

Kevin Walters’ troops were humbled in Brisbane six weeks ago but they were determined to ensure lightning didn’t strike twice, saving their best performance of the series for when it mattered most.

Undoubtedly hurting more than he was willing to let on, NSW captain Cordner was classy in defeat, both on the field and in the press room. He congratulated Queensland on its win in the post-match presentation, then saved special recognition for Thurston.

“I’d like to congratulate Johnathan Thurston on a great rep career,” Cordner said. “Mate, I’m sure it’s not the way you wanted it to end but I’m privileged to say I got to play with you.

“You’re a legend of a bloke, a legend of the game. Well done mate.”

The 25-year-old also made special mention of Cronk, who is yet to announce if he will play on in 2018. It was pure class from the Blues’ new leader, but it didn’t end there.

As Laurie Daley tried to take the blame for the series loss in the post-match press conference, Cordner interrupted him, refusing to stand by and watch his coach throw himself under the bus.

“It’s not Laurie’s fault, it’s the players (who need to cop the blame). It comes down to me as the captain and the players,” Cordner said.

Queensland was on from the start, threatening down the right edge via Will Chambers and Dane Gagai. But it was another outside back who stole the show early as Michael Morgan — shifted into the centres to cover for the loss of Boyd — dished off a brilliant one-handed offload as he drifted near the sideline to gift Valentine Holmes the opening try of the match.

Cooper Cronk almost crossed a minute later but he lost the ball inches short of the line when he dived too early under pressure from Brett Morris. But it was vintage Cronk 10 minutes later when a pinpoint cross-field kick that went barely more than five metres off the ground found an unmarked Holmes on the chest and Queensland doubled its advantage to lead 12-0.

NSW struggled to find any fluency in attack and was lucky to avoid going into the sheds facing an even bigger deficit when an uncharacteristic Cameron Smith blunder robbed his team of what would have been a certain four-pointer.

After Tim Glasby picked up a loose ball and streaked away, James Maloney managed to cut him down just metres short of the line. As Blues defenders struggled to get back Smith failed to take advantage of a three-on-one overlap on the left, going himself before throwing an offload that went forward.

Valentine Holmes had a night he’ll never forget.
Valentine Holmes had a night he’ll never forget.

NSW started the better of the teams in the second half and Josh Dugan showed great determination to out-muscle two defenders and latch onto a Maloney bomb as he went over for the visitors’ first points.

But Queensland defended its line then hit back on the hour mark. Debutant Cameron Munster — who was virtually perfect in the No. 6 jersey — burst through some poor defence from Boyd Cordner and Mitchell Pearce then threw a long ball out wide to Holmes. Holmes collected the ball in one hand, juggled it and then evaded an attempted cover tackle from Blake Ferguson to complete his hat-trick.

Munster was back in the action again not long after, throwing a speculative offload 10m out from the posts after poking his nose through the NSW line. Aaron Woods and Andrew Fifita were too slow to react on the inside and Jarrod Wallace scooped the ball up and crossed untouched to score his first Origin try and seal the series.

The Maroons will be cheering all night long.
The Maroons will be cheering all night long.

Walters was full of praise for his men. “What a proud moment particularly after Game 1,” Walters said. “That’s the proudest thing for me, how these guys played under enormous pressure.

“And what can I say about Cam Smith? I don’t think I have seen a more dominant first half.”

9.15pm

Second half: Queensland annihilation

Queensland had every reason to smile.
Queensland had every reason to smile.

80th min — Queensland wound the clock down after missing a shot at goal from a penalty and once the full-time siren sounded it was party time. FULL-TIME QLD 22 NSW 6

75th min: James Maloney tried to recreate the miracle try Cooper Cronk set up for Valentine Holmes in the first half but his kick was off target and sailed over the sideline on the full.

69th min — BROUHAHA: Andrew Fifita started some push and shove when he took offence to Queensland but it didn’t erupt into anything major.

67th min — TRY: Cameron Munster threw a miracle one-handed offload 10m back on the inside to Jarrod Wallace who crossed for his maiden Origin try. NSW props Aaron Woods and Andrew Fifita were too slow to close the gap that opened up on the inside when Munster headed left, and Wallace was able to cross the paint untouched. “Watch Woods and Fifita walk,” Phil Gould said. “See ... they’re just lazing around. That’s Origin football right there. You never see Queensland do that.” QLD 22 NSW 6

60th min — TRY:Cameron Munster burst through attempted tackles by Boyd Cordner and Mitchell Pearce, drawing the fullback and throwing a ball out wide to Valentine Holmes. Holmes did a fantastic job of holding onto the ball after a one-handed juggle and managed to avoid Blake Ferguson in cover before diving over for his third try of the night. QLD 16 NSW 6

59th min — ‘SICKENING, ILLEGAL’: Jarryd Hayne was prevented from challenging for a high kick when he was blocked by Cooper Cronk. Channel Nine’s Phil Gould was furious. “It is terrible the way blockers do that these days. They didn’t give chasers any chance whatsoever,” he said. “That’s just illegal but they let it go all the time.”

58th min — NSW has worked itself back into the contest in the second half. The Blues have had the running early in the second stanza and is looking the more likely of the two teams to post points.

55th min — PENALTY: Just when it looked like some bruising NSW defence would force a Queensland error, Wade Graham was penalised for stripping. He gave away a similar penalty in Game 2 that many pointed to as one of the turning points that handed the Maroons momentum before they went on to win.

54th min — MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Queensland defended its line brilliantly for two sets. The ball ended up in Boyd Cordner’s hands after a bomb went to ground and his overhead offload was put down by a teammate.

48th min — TRY: Josh Dugan scored a try with sheer determination as he out-muscled two Queenslanders to catch a James Maloney bomb and cross for a four-pointer. QLD 12 NSW 6

44th min — KNOCK ON: It was vintage Billy Slater as he raced across-field and broke through the NSW line, throwing a one-handed offload to Will Chambers in space on his outside about 25m out from the Blues’ line. But Chambers couldn’t hold on and NSW regained possession.

42nd min — Much like the opening couple of sets of the match, both sides started the second stanza with their forwards rolling the ball up the middle of the field. But NSW’s second set didn’t go to plan, Boyd Cordner knocking on after again getting his timing mixed up.

8.15pm

First half

The first half was all Queensland.
The first half was all Queensland.

40th min — Josh Dugan knocked on for the second time in the match shortly before the siren. HALF-TIME QLD 12 NSW 0

37th min — INCREDIBLE SAVE: A stray NSW pass hit a Queensland defender on the head and Tim Glasby picked the ball up and streaked downfield on his own. James Maloney chased and brought him down a few metres short of the line in what Phil Gould called a “miraculous” save and a “miracle”. The NSW defenders were struggling to get back to their tryline and Queensland was destined to score, but Cameron Smith ignored an obvious overlap by going himself, then his offload was ruled to have gone forward. “That’s an incredible save from NSW,” Gould said. “He’s done a Jarryd Hayne,” Paul Vautin added, referencing Hayne’s botched try in Game 2 when he dummied instead of passing to his winger.

34th min — HANDOVER: NSW is struggling for any potency in attack. Jarryd Hayne was forced to grubber out wide on the left about 15m out from Queensland’s line but was unable to regather and the Maroons won the ball back.

27th min — ‘FREAKISH’ TRY: Cooper Cronk made up for his earlier miss by setting up a Valentine Holmes try. Cameron Smith made a break through the middle from dummy-half and passed to Josh Papalii who was tackled 10m out from the NSW line. Cronk took the ball on the next play and fired a low cross-field kick that landed safely in Holmes’ chest on the wing and he strolled over for his second four-pointer. QLD 12 NSW 0

24th min — KNOCK ON: NSW finally managed to get into some decent field position. Tyson Frizell almost busted through a tackle on the right edge about 40m out from Queensland’s line and offloaded to Josh Dugan, but the centre spilled the ball.

18th min — NO TRY: Cooper Cronk botched a certain try when he appeared destined to score under the sticks after Billy Slater made a bust through the middle. Slater passed to the halfback when he drew NSW fullback James Tedesco but Cronk dived too early and lost the ball just inches before the line. It was winger Brett Morris who made the last ditch play to stop Cronk, miraculously doing just enough to disrupt the Queensland No. 7.

15th min — TRY: Michael Morgan produced yet another freak pass — as he did to set up the matchwinning try in Game 2 — to ensure Queensland opened the scoring. Running down the left edge Morgan was in danger of going out then hoicked a one-handed offload back on the inside to Valentine Holmes who finished the job. QLD 6 NSW 0

12th min — James Tedesco spilled a bomb and James Maloney was penalised for being accidentally offside. Queensland had an entire set on the NSW line but the Blues held firm, spared by a Cameron Munster slip when it look like the debutant would poke his nose through a hole.

9th min — Queensland continues to look threatening down the right edge with Will Chambers and Dane Gagai almost finding space down the sideline. Boyd Cordner mistimed an earlier run near the Maroons’ tryline gifting them the ball.

6th min — NSW defended its line against a Queensland attacking raid when the Maroons got themselves into good field position courtesy of a penalty.

3rd min — Brett Morris was prevented from challenging for a James Maloney bomb when Will Chambers stood his ground and knocked the NSW winger off his feet. Peter Sterling said in Channel Nine commentary the block was fine because Chambers maintained his position, but it was a moment of controversy because the referees said before the match they would be cracking down on defenders obstructing kick chasers.

2nd min — CHARGE DOWN: Solid opening sets by both sides, the forwards doing most of the work. James Maloney’s kick on the last tackle was charged down and the Blues started another set of six on the halfway line.

7.45pm

Emotional Thurston tribute

Johnathan Thurston was given a rousing reception by the Suncorp Stadium crowd as a tribute to the injured Queensland playmaker was played on the big screen and on TV screens around the country.

He took centre stage — flanked by his wife and children — and spoke about what it’s meant to wear the Maroon jersey for more than a decade.

6.40pm

Tallis’ savage Fifita takedown

Tallis has no time for Fifita.
Tallis has no time for Fifita.

Queensland legend Gorden Tallis has unloaded on Blues prop Andrew Fifita in the lead-up to Game 3.

Fifita came out after game two and mentioned he was sledged by the Maroons — specifically Josh McGuire — but refused to say what the sledge was that affected him most. It has since been revealed the fighting words were something along the lines of “we knew you were s***” and “you are just s*** c****”.

Tallis mocked Fifita for his rap sheet — he’s been in trouble for abusing referees in junior rugby league and last season he wore strapping in support of convicted one-punch killer Kieran Loveridge — and told him to “harden up”.

“I feel sorry for Andrew. He’s been a upstanding citizen, he’s never done anything wrong in his life, off the field he’s got an amazing rap, he does so much charity work, he’s never put a killer’s name on his arm or anything like that, he’s been amazing for the game,” Tallis said sarcastically on Triple M.

“I’ve heard better sledges on the netball court and he’s worried about that in life? He needs to harden up and be good and don’t have the rap he’s got off the field.

“Stop talking mate. He needs to be quiet, knuckle down, he’s given our game — it’s why so many sponsors and fans walk away — he’s given our game that much of a bad rap yet all of a sudden he’s the messiah and he gets called hopeless or something? Come on man, grow up.

“‘I’m going to leave it on the field but I don’t like what was said to me, which means you guys (the media) dig and in a week I’ll tell you what they said.’

“It’s a decimal point (on the scale of sledges). You wouldn’t even have heard it, I wouldn’t have heard someone saying it.”

NSW great Ryan Girdler said the sledge was so innocuous McGuire “wouldn’t even remember saying that” and Maroons great Wendell Sailor wasn’t prepared to cut Fifita any slack either.

“That sledge mate, you’ve got to wear that,” Sailor said. “People keep talking about him being an (Origin icon and rugby league Immortal) Artie Beetson and that — he’s got nothing on Artie Beetson.”

5.45pm

Rogue Origin powerplay ridiculed

Andrew Fifita is a key player for NSW.
Andrew Fifita is a key player for NSW.

Former State of Origin stars Michael Ennis and Corey Parker have rubbished the suggestion Blues coach Laurie Daley should throw a last-minute spanner in the works with his team line-up.

Ex-NSW enforcers Mark “Spud” Carroll and Steve “Blocker” Roach have supported the idea Daley should relegate starting front-rower Andrew Fifita to the bench and promote fellow prop David Klemmer to the run-on side.

Carroll has said several times this week Klemmer — who’s been in top form for the Blues — would do well to soften the Queenslanders up in the opening 20 minutes which would then pave the way for Daley to unleash Fifita, who would be able to terrorise a tiring defensive line with his explosive speed and footwork.

Roach said the change would be the perfect example of the mind games that could unsettle Queensland.

But Ennis (eight games for NSW) and Parker (19 games for Queensland) aren’t buying stock in that idea.

“No way,” Ennis said of a possible change on Fox Sports program On the Couch with Sterlo. “David Klemmer for me has been, along with (Queensland winger) Dane Gagai, one of the two form players of the series.

“He’s been absolutely enormous off the bench for NSW and these days that bench role is so much more important than what it used to be and there’s no way you’d move him.”

Parker agreed. “No, I wouldn’t move him (Klemmer) at all and why would you? He’s been fabulous … I think he’s been the best forward over the course of the series for NSW.”

Fifita was immense in Game 1, running for nearly 200m with nine tackle breaks, leading Blues legend Paul Gallen to label it one of the greatest performances by a front-rower in Origin history.

He was well contained — mainly by Josh McGuire — in Game 2 but will be hoping to recapture the destructive form everyone knows he’s capable of.

5.30pm

‘Far out’: Debutant’s ‘unbelievable’ weapon

Cameron Munster
Cameron Munster

Queensland captain Cameron Smith and Maroons legend Trevor Gillmeister have both said Cameron Munster was more than a little nervous during his first couple of days in camp.

The Melbourne five-eighth will make his Origin debut on Wednesday night when he wears the No. 6 jersey in place of Johnathan Thurston and while there might be plenty of butterflies in the 22-year-old’s stomach come game time, that won’t make him any less dangerous.

NSW veteran and Cronulla back-rower Luke Lewis says while Munster may not seem like the most physically imposing footy player going around, his strength is undeniable and will come as a real shock to any man in a sky blue jersey who underestimates the youngster.

“He only looks like a little body but he’s that strong and he’s got one of the best fends in the game,” Lewis said on On the Couch with Sterlo.

“I think it’s his right hand — mate he got me one and it was a beauty and I’m thinking, ‘Far out, who is this bloke? He’s unbelievable’.

“His running game’s the key tomorrow night. Just take them on and don’t think about it, let the other three (Storm teammates Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater) think about it and just play.”

Queensland great Adrian Lam has no doubt Munster can step up and perform on the game’s biggest stage.

“He’s the ultimate competitor and he can play two or three position as well so they’ve got a few areas covered,” Lam said.

“The strength about him is his ability to support. He’s another Billy Slater in the defensive line up front and supporting through the middle there.”

5.15pm

‘Whingeing’ Daley disappoints Origin legend

Has Laurie Daley earnt his side a cheeky win before kick-off?
Has Laurie Daley earnt his side a cheeky win before kick-off?

Queensland legend Brent Tate says it’s “disappointing” Laurie Daley’s complaints have had an impact on the way the referees with officiate Origin III.

Daley took issue with Queenslanders blocking his players chasing through to contest bombs in Game 2 and it has since been clarified the men with the whistles will pay more attention to defenders illegally obstructing chasers on Wednesday night.

“I think he’s had a bit of a whinge and had a win with the referees coming out and saying that,” Tate told Fox Sports.

“I think it’s disappointing. Obviously I’ve got a lot of respect for Laurie ... but I do get really disappointed when they start coming out and criticising the referees and obviously there will be a crackdown on this, make no mistake.

“It’s going to be difficult. They’ve played one way all year then tomorrow night they’ll ref it differently.”

5pm

Teams

Queensland: 1. Billy Slater 2. Valentine Holmes 3. Will Chambers 4. Michael Morgan 5. Dane Gagai 6. Cameron Munster 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Dylan Napa 9. Cameron Smith (c) 10. Jarrod Wallace 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Matt Gillett 13. Josh McGuire 14. Ben Hunt 15. Josh Papalii 16. Coen Hess 17. Tim Glasby

NSW: 1. James Tedesco 2. Brett Morris 3. Josh Dugan 4. Jarryd Hayne 5. Blake Ferguson 6. James Maloney 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. Aaron Woods 9. Nathan Peats 10. Andrew Fifita 11. Boyd Cordner (c) 12. Josh Jackson 13. Tyson Frizell 14. David Klemmer 15. Wade Graham 16. Jake Trbojevic 17. Jack Bird

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