State of Origin game two player ratings

THERE’S nowhere to hide as we run the rule over the NSW and Queensland squads and rate the player performances.

Paul Gallen of the NSW Blues celebrates winning the series after State of Origin game two.

THERE’S nowhere to hide as we run the rule over the NSW and Queensland squads after last night’s historic State of Origin and rate the player performances.

Born and bred Blue Cameron Tomarchio looks at the NSW side, while dyed in the wool Queenslander Daniel Sankey critiques the Maroons.

NSW BLUES

1. JARRYD HAYNE: Saved the day by knocking the ball free from Sam Thaiday’s hand when the big Maroon looked certain to score. Earns an extra point for being man enough to cry on live television. 8

2. WILL HOPOATE: It wasn’t on a John Sattler broken jaw level, but Hoppa Jr carried an arm injury throughout most of game but played through it. Didn’t have much to do though as this was a game played up the guts. 6

3. JOSH DUGAN: You might be thinking you didn’t see much of Doogs, but he worked hard in the centres for the Blues making 23 tackles - many of them on Greg Inglis, and they should count for double. 6.5

4. MICHAEL JENNINGS: Largely invisible until making a crucial play to tackle Justin Hodges in the in-goal late in the piece. 6

5. DANIEL TUPOU: Didn’t have all that much to do but got a neat toe to a ball on the sideline that almost got a NSW fan out of his seat in the dour opening 70 minutes. 6.5

6. JOSH REYNOLDS: Disclaimer: I love players with mongrel. There is no bigger mongrel in the NRL than Josh Reynolds and he was in Queensland’s face all night – especially Johnathan Thurston’s. Didn’t play much footy, though. 7

7. TRENT HODKINSON: He’s been described by the Queensland press as “the man who wasn’t there”. Sorry to tell you, but he was there. And he scored the winner. Hero. 9

8. PAUL GALLEN: Just a lazy 200m night for the Blues skipper. But he did get a bit of ball in dangerous areas for the Blues only to do nothing with it. It would be nice to see Gal put his hand DOWN every now and then. Still, legend. 9

9. ROBBIE FARAH: Worked hard and almost ducked through for a four-pointer on a night that only saw 10 points total. Would liked to have seen him run the ball more. Was decent with the boot. 7

10. AARON WOODS: Now this guy deserves special mention. Fantastic effort at the death there to clearly avoid contact with the ball as it sailed dead from the re-start, thus gifting NSW the pill from halfway. What’s that? He touched it? Oh, well. 10

11. RYAN HOFFMAN: The Hoff never gets any attention. No plaudits. Just battles away like a trooper and gets the job done. He was one of the Blues’ best. 8

12. BEAU SCOTT: Overcame the indignity of being slapped in the face by Johnathan Thurston and incorrectly accusing of Cam Smith of being the culprit to put in a solid effort. Another no-frills backrower who deserves a wrap. 7

13. GREG BIRD: Like Gal, Bird just got his hands on the ball too much when it may been have better off in the hands of a playmaker. Killed it in the niggle stakes, though. 7

14. JAMES TAMOU: Didn’t get much of an opportunity, but a few points for showing up. 4

15. ANTHONY WATMOUGH: Biggest impact he made was being placed on report for a lifting tackle on Nate Myles. 4

16. TRENT MERRIN: Goes out with Sally Fitzgibbons. 9

17. LUKE LEWIS: Ordinary. Bit of dropped ball and just wasn’t much chop. 4

Johnathan Thurston in action for Queensland vs New South Wales for game two of the 2014 State of Origin series.

QUEENSLAND MAROONS

1. BILLY SLATER: Former jockey copped a taste of his own medicine, with the Blues defenders riding him into the ground all night. No surprise he was keen to offload to his wingers wherever possible. Forgettable night by his lofty standards. 6

2. DARIUS BOYD: Newcastle fans were furious when he turned around his indifferent club form in Origin I and put in a blinder. They were much happier last night to see Boyd turn in a more Knights-like performance in Origin II. 5.5

3. GREG INGLIS: Was a constant threat every time Queensland’s halves got the ball to him. Unfortunately for the Maroons, you could count those occasions on one hand. Can NSW fans now PUHLEASE stop the whole “Inglis should be playing for the Blues” thing? You’ve got the trophy back. 6.5

4. JUSTIN HODGES: Everyone in NSW hates him, and that’s why Queenslanders love him. Thurston and Cherry-Evans didn’t seem to want to throw him the ball, so Hodges just went into dummy half and grabbed it himself ... time and time again. 7

5. BRENT TATE: Walked under a ladder, had a black cat cross his path and broke a mirror in the hours leading up to Origin II, so no surprise to see him carried off with a knee injury in the second half. Be a shame if that’s the last we see of him in Origin. He’s done wonders for big chins and neck braces throughout his career. 6

6. JOHNATHAN THURSTON: This was meant to be the night that he was celebrated as Origin’s all-time leading pointscorer. Unfortunately for the man whose ridiculous laugh has spawned ringtones and YouTube parodies, his night will be best remembered for a forearm to the face of his opposite number. If you can’t beat ‘em, beat ‘em up. 6.5

7. DALY CHERRY-EVANS: He was the victim of countless late shots after kicks and the Blues defenders made a point of grinding his face into the dirt every time he was tackled. And he seemed to love every second of it. Did. Not. Stop. Trying. 7.5

8. MATT SCOTT: Forgettable night for the big fellow, because Mal Meninga literally forgot to send him onto the field in the second half. Unforgivable really, given Dave Taylor spent so much time on the park. 4

9. CAMERON SMITH: Fancies himself as a cricketer, so he’ll be disappointed he didn’t crack the half-century mark last night. I guess 46 tackles isn’t too bad, though. That’s about as many as Dave Taylor missed. 7.5

10. NATE MYLES: The beard to be feared was exactly that last night. Threw a few punches, dropped a few forearms, chucked in a couple of high shots and spent the rest of the night hurling abuse at anyone dressed in blue. Oh, and he apparently made 49 tackles and 16 hit-ups. Queensland needs three more of him. 8

11. AIDAN GUERRA: Promising debut in Origin I was undone by an indifferent performance in Origin II. May be trying to turn himself into a Billy Moore type. You know, the type the Queensland selectors keep picking, even when they don’t know why? 5

12. MATT GILLETT: Couple of close shaves in the first half. Not sure he really cut it. It’s a razor-thin line he walks sometimes. Makes Blues fans bristle. (Sorry, had to throw in a few bad puns. Wasn’t much else to write up about his night). 6

13. SAM THAIDAY: Great to see the big fellow back for Origin II. Plenty of fearless charges up the middle of the ruck. Always the first man to run in when it looked like a fight was about to break out. Bless. 7.5

14. JACOB LILLYMAN: Not seen since 2011, the Warriors hard man did his best to remind us he was still alive with some decent hit-ups in the second half. Could teach Dave Taylor a few things ... namely, how to avoid off-loading the ball at all costs. 6

15. BEN TE’O: Another good performance as Queensland’s impact man off the bench. Seriously frightened the Blues’ forwards with his exocet missile-like defence. Pretty sure I saw him tackle the Blues’ trainer, Ronnie Palmer, a couple of times as well. Te’o, way to go. 7

16. CHRIS McQUEEN: He was going so badly in the second row that Brent Tate got himself injured so Mal Meninga would throw him on the wing. Unfortunately, he went even worse there. 4.5

17. DAVE TAYLOR: The only people happier than the Coaltrain about his return to State of Origin were Blues fans. Wasn’t his card marked “never to play State of Origin again” after his disastrous 2012? Should have stayed that way. 4