State of Origin Game 2: Tears fall in historic Queensland humiliation

NSW has inflicted absolute embarrassment on Queensland with Maroons legends left furious by the damning result.

The agony and ecstasy. Photo: Getty, News Corp Australia.

NSW has inflicted an historic, humiliating series defeat on Queensland in another Origin bloodbath on Sunday night.

After Queensland stole the 2020 series with one of the most magical upsets in Australian sport, the Blues have put the Maroons back in their place with a 160-minute rugby league masterclass.

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It was perfect revenge for Blues coach Brad Fittler’s team.

Having destroyed Queensland 50-6 in the series opener in Townsville, the Blues compounded the pain with a 26-0 win in Game 2 at Suncorp Stadium.

The extraordinary records achieved by the combined 76-6 scoreline across the two games, include:

• The first time Queensland has been held scoreless at Suncorp Stadium
• The third time ever Queensland has failed to score in an Origin game - the first time since 1994
• The first time a team has wrapped up a series 2-0 by winning both games in the opposition’s home state; and
• The 70-point series deficit is the largest in the history of State of Origin.

Queensland was nowhere near it – and the post mortem will get ugly.

There were tears at full time with Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans struggling to find words when interviewed on the field.

A shattered Cherry-Evans took deep breaths in between some of his words as he paid credit to NSW.

"Yeah. Can't believe it's over," he said.

"Mate, they were just too good. Scoreline reflected that. Mate, such a shame."

He went on to tell Maroons legend Darren Lockyer: "They had all the answers and we didn't have the answers, mate. It's a shame it's all done."

It came after Blues legend Andrew Johns publicly questioned the Manly halfback's performance. "There's going to be a big debate about the halfback position with Cherry-Evans," he said in commentary for Channel 9.His tears will not be the last shed by the Queensland side after such an emphatic defeat.

Rugby league reporter Steve Zemek posted on Twitter it is going to be a miserable day for Queensland.

Daly Cherry-Evans. Photo: Getty.

"This is going to be a very dark day for Queensland Origin," he posted. "NSW are playing Origin footy - great intensity, coming up with big plays. Queensland have lost all the intensity they showed for the first 15 mins. This is hurting."

Journalist Matt Bevan also posted: "When you consider how bad Queensland are playing you have to keep in mind this game is being played in their impenetrable Lang Park fortress and NSW supporters are literary banned from entering the state".

The Blues broke Queensland's back with three tries in 20 minutes mid-way through the first half and they never took their foot off the Maroons' necks for the rest of the game in a performance that was entirely complete.

Latrell Mitchell was the chief destroyer early, while Tom Trbojevic, James Tedesco and Cameron Murray were also brilliant.

While the Blues' attack was blistering, the Maroons' was broken.

The back five of Tedesco, Brian To'o, Mitchell, Trbojevic and Addo-Carr was described by Blues legend Andrew Johns as the best NSW has ever seen.

It was the polar opposite in the Maroons' shed. Even with Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster, Queensland never threatened. Their only sniffs at points came on the back of small NSW errors or lucky bounces. Even then, the Maroons couldn't convert. 

The home team's misery was summed up by a passage of play where Valentine Holmes put through a grubber early in the tackle count - and caught his teammates by surprise with winger Xavier Coates having to come from miles away to try and chase it down.

It was an ugly sight for Maroons legend Billy Slater.

“They’re just on different pages at the moment,” Slater told Channel 9.

Meanwhile, former Maroons coach Paul Vautin described Queensland's attack as slow.

"I think we are a slow and sluggish team. I really believe we just don't have enough pace and we were gone after 10 minutes, so it makes you wonder," he said.

"Why were they fatigued after 10 minutes? It makes you wonder what happened during the week. Whether they trained too hard, I'm not sure. There was no punch at the line. People were just trotting into the line. It was very, very disappointing. Quite deflating to sit there and watch what they produced tonight."

It was a nightmare for debutant Origin coach Paul Green.

There are already questions about his future after overseeing such a disaster. Maroons legend Cameron Smith even said after the game it is time for the team to throw out their game plan and start again.

"For me the Queenslanders need to go away now and they almost have to go away and find a new game plan. Really, they do," he said.

"A new style of football, because the way they've played in the first two, they have struggled to score points, they need points in Game 3 to be able to beat NSW and where they find that, I'm not too sure right now."

Game 3 is scheduled for July 14 at Stadium Australia, however, the NRL is considering moving the game as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

Queensland will be boosted by the returns of hooker Harry Grant and fullback Kalyn Ponga - but the Maroons still look short of points even with the two stars coming back for the final game of the series.