Bradman Best, Mitchell Moses star as NSW Blues win 2024 Origin series
Suncorp Stadium was rumbling like a colosseum. Spite night was fast and furious. But NSW pulled off the rare and daunting feat of winning a State of Origin decider on enemy soil.
Suncorp Stadium was rumbling like a colosseum. Spite night was fast and furious. But NSW pulled off the rare and daunting feat of winning a State of Origin decider on enemy soil thanks to a moment of brilliance from Bradman Best.
This was Origin footy at its finest and most ferocious.
Queensland’s formidable home ground bristled with gladiatorial, anti-NSW sentiment. It was loud enough to wake the dead. The intensity nearly warranted swords, shields, knives and helmets.
An all-in brawl spilt over the sidelines. Tension was excruciating. For only the third time, the Blues won a decider in Brisbane, 14-4, after Best’s rough-and-ready brilliance.
No matter where you watched it, the stadium or a lounge room, a mate’s place or a pub, home or abroad, the goosebumps were the size of golf balls. Few contests in Australian or world sport match an Origin decider for animosity.
What’s the population of Queensland? About 5.5 million? It felt as though the Blues were up against every last one of them.
It started at breakneck pace and didn’t let up. Barging runs, thunderous tackles, frantic passing, spite in every step, a moment of glory to a bloke with one of the best names in Australia.
Desperation and urgency. It was so wildly unpredictable the clock at the ground lost its nerve and conked out for the first 10 minutes.
Spite night. The chant was ear-splitting until the Blues pulled free. “Queenslander! Queenslander!” A wall of noise, and two walls of defence. Both sides threw the kitchen sink into their attacking raids but diligent resistance was performed as if a matter of honour.
A skerrick of hell broke loose in the 31st minute. A melee started with a scuffle between Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans and the Blues’ Jarome Luai. You thought for a moment it might spill all the way into the grandstands. Sin-binned for 10 minutes were Jeremiah Nanai and Cameron Murray – who had involved himself from the interchange bench. The Blues’ Haumole Olakau’atu, dressed in a suit after being dropped for game three, did some pushing and shoving himself. He was banished to the dressing room for the remainder of spite night.
The Blues and Maroons were bloodied and bruised – and it was only halftime. The score was 2-0 to the locals, who gallantly defended their fortress despite the visitors holding 60 per cent of possession. A tough and titanic tussle featuring incredible stamina, speed, courage, willpower, two irrepressible forces – it could only be decided by a moment of individual brilliance. Who would produce it? And when?
Best. The 64th minute. Blood was dripping from his mouth from a prior collision. He beat two defenders. Swatted them like flies. His knees were up. Elbows were out as though he had 5.5 million tackles to beat. Try. He thumped his chest.
Mitchell Moses scored a couple of minutes later and for the Blues, it turned out all right on the most scintillating of spite nights.
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