State of Origin 2021: Key questions Maroons must ask after series loss to NSW Blues
Paul Green’s future — and the spectre of a Maroons legend — is just one of myriad questions Queensland must ask.
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Maroons players have appealed for stability in the State of Origin ranks as coach Paul Green declared Queensland has a “bright future” ahead of a review into this year’s rollercoaster series.
The Maroons avoided becoming the worst Queensland team in State of Origin’s 41-year history when they secured a face-saving 20-18 victory against NSW in Wednesday night’s dead-rubber on the Gold Coast.
The thrilling win stretched NSW’s clean-sweep drought to 21 years and secured Green some much-needed brownie points in his first series as Queensland coach.
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Up until kick-off in Game Three, Queensland’s campaign had lurched from one debacle to the next.
The Maroons were flogged 50-6 in Game One — Queensland’s worst ever Origin defeat — following some questionable selections and preparation before the Ronaldo Mulitalo eligibility scandal contributed to a 26-0 shutout at Suncorp Stadium.
The Game Three camp was marred by Jai Arrow’s Covid breach drama, which turned the spotlight on Green’s leadership and the culture in Camp Maroon.
But the NRL premiership-winning coach proved there is life in the Sunshine State as Queensland produced a gutsy win against the red-hot Blues to salvage a 2-1 series loss.
The Queensland Rugby League will now launch an independent review into the Maroons’ 2021 campaign.
Green, 48, has ambitions to return to the NRL as a head coach, but with expansion in danger of being delayed beyond 2023 his options may be thinning.
Green was reluctant to confirm he would seek the activation of his 2022 contract option with Queensland but declared the Maroons job was enjoyable.
“I like what we’ve started,” he said.
“The series didn’t pan out how we all hoped but the future for Queensland is bright.
“We’ve just got to scrap away until some of those guys get a bit of experience under their belts.
“You don’t win Origin games like that if you don’t have character and stick together. You can talk about it all you like but it’s what you do on the field that counts and we showed that.
“I love Queensland. I loved playing when I got the chance.
“I’ve enjoyed this series, as tough as it has been. Now is not the time to be making any sort of decisions about that.”
Green and the Maroons came under fire following the nature of Queensland’s losses in the opening two games.
But they responded in Game Three, with the injection of fullback Kalyn Ponga and Ben Hunt’s promotion to hooker making Queensland a vastly more threatening team.
When asked what he had learnt during his first series as an Origin coach, all Green could offer was: “Plenty. It’s better when you win.”
Green secured Queensland’s top job following Wayne Bennett’s one-series cameo last year.
Bennett, along with his dream team of assistants in Mal Meninga and Neil Henry, pulled off a remarkable series win after being written off as the worst Queensland team in history.
Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster said Queensland needed stability following multiple coach changes over the past few series and Green gave the team freedom in Game Three.
“It’s not ideal,” he said.
“Everyone knew Wayne was only going to take it for a year to help the younger boys coming through.
“We didn’t tinker with the things we were really good at in last year’s series. There were some things we weren’t good with and he changed and adapted.
“It showed in Game Three, we sat down with a group and had to work together. A couple of things we weren’t agreeing on in the first and second game really changed in the third game.
“The good thing about Greeny is he was very adaptable and happy with us taking charge in Game Three and putting all the ownership and emphasis on us to go out there and play well.
“He put it all on us and I really respected him doing that. We’re not a clubland type of group and he knows that. We know we need to stand up and deliver.
“He can give us the game plan and everything, but at the end of the day we need to go out and execute it. We didn’t do that in the first two games.
“There was a lot of pressure on Greeny but it should have been on our leadership. We need to be better next series if we want to be picked again.”
COACH DRAMA HEADLINES QUEENSLAND’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE
The Maroons avoided a clean sweep and salvaged some pride for Queensland but there are huge decisions to make before the state becomes an Origin force again.
The Blues will have to wait a little longer to record their first 3-nil win against Queensland since 2000 after the Maroons secured a 20-18 win in Wednesday night’s dead-rubber at Cbus Super Stadium.
After being savaged for dreadful performances in the opening two games of the series, the Maroons of 2021 bounced back to gain some respect on the Gold Coast in a traditional Origin thriller.
They overcame the distraction of Jai Arrow’s Covid breach and some key players missing through injury to save themselves the embarrassment of Queensland’s worst Origin series in history.
This was the best performance by Queensland this series but it came too late and against a NSW side missing its first-choice halves in Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.
The Maroons also played every game on home soil and only managed one win by two points.
So where do Queensland go from here?
The first thing the Queensland Rugby League must do is make a decision on the future of coach Paul Green.
Green’s first series in charge of the Maroons has been one of Queensland’s most tumultuous in Origin history.
The dramas the Maroons have endured have not been Green’s fault but he has come under fire for his leadership and decision-making at times.
The Maroons were so far off the pace in games one and two – outpointed 76-6 – that serious questions must be asked of what was happening in Camp Maroon to be outclassed like that.
Green’s selections have also left a lot to be desired – especially after Ben Hunt was Queensland’s best player last night in his first starting appearance of the series. He didn’t even play Game One.
Whether Green is the right man to lead Queensland into 2022 and beyond is a decision that must be made in the coming months so the Maroons can recalibrate their Origin approach.
If the QRL decides to move in another direction then the next coach must be picked the view of being a long-term mentor like Mal Meninga from 2006-15.
If Green isn’t the man, then Maroons legend Billy Slater appears to be the most logical choice to coach the state during what is a transitional phase.
In the coming years, statesmen like Daly Cherry-Evans (32) and Josh Papalii (29) will be replaced by the next generation in Sam Walker and Reece Walsh, both 19.
The Maroons need a system that will allow the next crop of Queensland talent to be nurtured and guided in a consistent direction.
They need Queensland legends that this new generation idolised to now lead their Origin future.
Continuity was the biggest strength of the Meninga dynasty, which not only possessed some of the game’s great talent but also guided it to be a consistent Origin force.
The wheels fell off Queensland this year for a number of reasons but the Maroons proved there is still plenty of pride in that jersey last night.
They played the type of football Queensland has been famous for – it was tough, gritty, spirited and came against the odds.
They just need to make the right decisions off the field and get the state back on track.
CRASH TACKLE: FOUR QUESTIONS MAROONS MUST ASK
Robert Craddock
It was a State of Origin win that asked as many questions as it answered.
Can this Queensland team really keep pace with NSW? Was this the future or just a taunting mirage?
Was it the first sighting of a new dawn or just a random punch that found space through a partially dropped guard?
Is a suddenly relieved and buoyant Paul Green the future of Queensland coaching or should Wayne Bennett be asked back next year?
It was a strange result on a strange night when the home side was jeered when they walked on and cheered when they ran off in a gesture in keeping with the “anything goes’’ vibe of the season.
Time will be the judge of Queensland’s relentless, face-saving 20-18 win over the Blues, an old-fashioned score-line in an equally old-fashioned slug out which showed two things.
Firstly, there is still immense spirit and flair in the Queensland ranks. It flows through veterans like Ben Hunt, who was superb, and through unsung players like Moeaki Fotuaika who was outstanding all series.
The other obvious point is that NSW, missing their crack halves pairing, are not so good they can afford to have an off night and expect to win.
Queensland are too passionate to let them get away with that.
Queensland did well to win the match but if you host three Origin games you are entitled to win one of them.
The worth of the Maroons was somewhere between the two extremes seen in this series.
They were never as bad as they played in the first two games but they should not get too excited about winning a dead match, however honourable and unexpected the win was.
One thing the game showed was that Queensland are a much better side when they have Kalyn Ponga and his dancing feet at fullback.
The Ponga threat is constant. In a team which lacks magic men he is the one with the stardust.
Hunt’s starring role was a reward for a player who has had to work hard for his success and has a common sense about him which should never be taken for granted.
Hunt was one of the few Dragons not to attend the fateful barbecue at Paul Vaughan’s place which has left the club in ruins. Had he walked through Vaughan’s front door his Origin career would have been over.
Hunt will have many tough weeks ahead as he takes his place in an Odds and Sods XIII for the Dragons with many players missing through suspension, so this will be a win he will cherish.
Queensland may have salvaged their dignity but they also have to learn the lessons of the series loss.
The game is too fast these days – particularly at Origin level – to pick players who are 80% fit, a lesson Queensland learnt in Game I.
They must also keep an eye on their soft spots such as stay vigilant for the emergence of new centres for the future.
Young players like Sam Walker and Reece Walsh need to be around the team in future seasons to get them ready for long careers.
Originally published as State of Origin 2021: Key questions Maroons must ask after series loss to NSW Blues
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