State of Origin 2016: Blues must break the losing mentality of the past

THE Blues are weighed down at every turn by the scars and excuses of Origin series lost. Its time for a change writes PAUL KENT.

The Blues are hamstrung by the defeats of the past.

TYSON Frizell, who comes built for war, showed us a glimpse of what the Blues have missed for too long now.

Jack Bird, too.

Young and prepared to put a spear through Queensland’s reputation.

They inspired hope on Wednesday night. They shined light on the future.

Their impact was such they looked very different to their teammates.

So much, Queensland coach Kevin Walters walked in to NRL360 the day after the game and, in a quiet conversation before he went on air, said, “They were probably NSW’s two best players.”

The reason seems simple; they carry no scars.

A losing mentality has seeped into the Blues. They are professional victims.

Tyson Frizell was the Blues best player on Wednesday.

On Wednesday it was their execution. Effort was great, we need to improve our execution.

It was execution last year when they blew it in game one and were unable to set up for a field goal at 10-all before Queensland took the ball and marched up field to slot the winner.

The excuses came to a head early in game three when they fell behind and, with no excuses to fall back on, they had nowhere to go. They got beat 52-6.

Still, that was a great Queensland side, we heard afterwards. They can do that to you.

Yes.

After game one this year it was the referees. Blues coach Laurie Daley did not want them reappointed and when they were for game two he wanted a meeting.

What did the NSW players make of that?

It is not the first time this has happened in the Decade of Failure. For years the Blues have demanded meetings, sent the ref’s boss the edited video, provided stills for the media, highlighted the unfair refereeing.

In the psychology of sport, the Blues are doing Queensland’s work and putting the noose around their own neck.

Queensland skipper Cameron Smith called them on it after game one, saying, “It can create excuses. I think players listen to the coach’s comments and think that everything is quite rosy on the field (when they blame a referee).”

Players like Greg Bird are emblematic of past failures.

He was spot on. It was diversion, a backdoor for failure.

Queensland understand the psychology of winning better than NSW.

Nobody doubts the greatness of Queensland’s key players. But for the first dozen years of Origin NSW always had better players and yet Queensland managed to win more than their share.

They did it because they came together as a group and demanded something of each other. They demanded effort and no excuses.

The backdoor for failure manifests itself in other ways for the Blues.

Too often, the Blues make the wrong decision instead of the hard decision.

Losing 10 out of 11 can’t always be from bad refereeing or, going the other way, arguing the greatness of Queensland.

If NSW is good enough to win one game in each series, as they have in eight of the past 10 losing series, then why aren’t they good enough to win at least one more? Not every time, but more than just once.

After watching Frizell and Bird on Wednesday, the direction for the Blues is clear.

Look at the first Dane Gagai try.

Gagai intercepted the ball after an off-balance Michael Jennings tried to tip a loose ball back to Josh Mansour.

The first Gagai try showed the best and the worst of the Blues.

Brad Fittler said in commentary Jennings should have taken his medicine. Passing was a low percentage play.

There’s one mistake.

Josh Mansour turned and chased several steps before diving and missing Gagai. He looked gone for all money ... until Frizell chased.

He almost ran him down. What if Mansour had not dived and continued chasing?

Frizell’s was what they call an Origin effort. Never give it up, no matter how dire it looks.

James Maloney got up to play the ball and knocked on. He looked at the referee and remonstrated.

Who else was there for him to blame? Nobody.

Greg Bird also knocked on at the play-the-ball.

Josh Morris took a tap and knocked it on in game one, the first time that was ever seen in Origin.

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They are basic fundamentals. Play the ball. Tap the ball.

The first lesson of beating a superior opponent is lessening their opportunities. At Origin level, against such a team, such mistakes are unforgivable.

To understand how much it matters, consider that after Morris dropped the ball NSW did not get the ball in that position on the field for another 15 minutes.

How much juice did that take out of the tank, defending their end?

How much did it contribute to their ineffectiveness later in the game?

There are 40 different ways NSW get beaten in every game. Not one of them alone adds up to a lot of difference, but together they are crippling.

And each small wound brings its own scar tissue.

Barnes was a star for Balmain, New South Wales and Australia.

JUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

Keith Barnes, Golden Boots. Nominated for the Men Of League’s Captain’s Captain.

How’s your health been?

I’m winning a few battles but losing a few more. I’ve just had my hip replaced.

Your Test debut you were also captain, that’s a big achievement?

It was the second Test against New Zealand up in Brisbane (in 1959). It was a young team and we went away on tour to Great Britain with only a couple of experienced players.

We had so many young players, Reg Gasnier, Johnny Raper, Noel Kelly, Ian Walsh … and 10 years later they became Immortals.

It must have been a nice moment for a boy from Wales?

I was born in Wales and came to Australia when I was 13 and that first Test we finished up beating them, I think. 22-15. It was the highlight of my career.

Was Johnny Raper easier to handle on tour then?

He never changed. He was a great player. He wasn’t any trouble on tour … Not on that one, anyway.

You’re 81, the game today, do you enjoy it?

It’s great. The standard is terrific, the games are terrific. After my hip I watch it on TV now, watching the game and you blokes on 360.

CHILL PILLS

IRELAND beats Italy. It’s not rugby, but soccer. In fact, it’s Euro 2016, which has suddenly turned into Bizarro World as global powers such as, ahem, Ireland, Slovakia, Hungary, Wales and even Iceland dare to go deep.

Ireland managed a stunning win over Sweden.

ANGRY PILLS

THE AFL accepted Eddie McGuire’s apology to Caroline Wilson this week ... before McGuire issued another. It proved the AFL is about management outcomes. It accepted an apology even McGuire felt was unsatisfactory.

The AFL handled the latest Eddie McGuire saga in a poor fashion.

A GOOD WEEK FOR

AUSTRALIA’S influence in the NBA is slowly increasing but perhaps the biggest surprise of all is the quality involved. Matthew Dellavedova was part of the Cleveland Cavaliers team that took out this year’s championship, matching Andrew Bogut’s effort to take it out last year.

Now along comes Ben Simmons, drafted No 1 out of college. While Simmons has a little work to do to get the Philadelphia 76ers to championship contention he goes into the NBA as the quality player in a strong draft class, with what some identify as that indefinable quality. Bogut was also the No 1 pick.

A ROUGH WEEK FOR

SEMI Radradra has no idea whether he wants to play rugby league or rugby union. Neither do his family.

Where he ends up seems to be where the money will be.

While Radradra is a wonderful player, it was no secret he switched allegiances from Fiji to Australia for the Test match payments.

Now, having cost another player an Australian jersey, he is considering union for more money. Eventually, rugby league has to stand up for itself, which begins with standing for something.

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DON’T MISS

EDDIE Jones is something of a miracle worker.

Oh yes, you cynics and nonbelievers. After the former Wallabies coach took Japan to last year’s World Cup and oversaw their stunning win over South Africa he returned to Australia this winter with an England side that had never won a Test on Australian soil.

People sniffed at it. Now they head in to Saturday’s (Fox Sports 2, 8pm) Third Test at Allianz Stadium looking to clean sweep the series.

There is a belief this Test will feature more running. Surprising, given the Origin teams always play conservative on the greasy, dew-ridden ground.

Originally published as State of Origin 2016: Blues must break the losing mentality of the past