State of Origin 2022: Stephen Crichton on the difficulty of being the Blues’ unlikely bench warmer

Blues rookie Stephen Crichton endured an emotional rollercoaster of nerves and excitement before getting his chance to enter the fray in Origin I after a few false alarms.

Brad Fittler has many questions to ponder as the Blues look to save the series.

NSW debutant Stephen Crichton has revealed the confusion and emotional rollercoaster he experienced for 52 minutes sitting and waiting on the Blues bench on Wednesday night.

Crichton had hardly warmed the seat at a cold and wintry Accor Stadium when the 21-year old noticed Penrith teammate Isaah Yeo stumble out of the game’s first tackle.

Even with South Sydney forward Cameron Murray on the bench, Crichton was ready to run on in the first minute. But it was a false alarm and Yeo, controversially, stayed on the field.

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Then came the tap from Blues coaching staff that he would be injected into the game in the first half. Again, nothing. Crichton finally made it onto the field in the second half to replace an injured Kotoni Staggs at centre.

The premiership-winning outside back admitted the sitting and waiting for 52 minutes left him in an unfamiliar position for the first time in his career.

Stephen Crichton, centre, had a nervous night on the bench before getting on the field in the 52nd minute in Origin I. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

“I didn’t know what time I was going to come on, I was just told to be ready on the sideline the whole time,” Crichton said.

“Yeah, that was the longest I have been on the bench so I was trying to keep warm.

“I didn’t know when to go for jogs or how to keep warm and that but I was just really excited to get onto the field.

“They told me a bit early in the first half and I was just excited to get out there and the boys ended up being all right.

“So I came on in the second half and I was just trying to keep the nerves in and wait for the call. When the call did come, I just wanted to get out there and try and do my job.

“I was actually really worried (at the start) with the way Yeo came out of the tackle and stumbling as well. I was ready to get on but I knew that Murray was on the sidelines as well.”

Crichton played two games from the bench for the Panthers early in his career but nothing would prepare the centre for the pressure-cooker that is State of Origin.

When Crichton did make it on the field, his first involvement ended up in being placed on report for a dangerous tackle on Queensland playmaker Cameron Munster.

Crichton said the mistimed tackle was a combination of nerves and trying to inject himself into the match.

“I think I was trying to be as aggressive as I could, especially coming on to the big stage. I just got him in the wrong angle,” Crichton said.

Crichton escaped with a fine and is free to take on Newcastle on Sunday.

It wasn’t the only encounter with Munster that Crichton would like to do over.

Stephen Crichton was placed on report for a dangerous tackle on Maroons star Cameron Munster in Origin I. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The Blues had spend part of the preparation for game one practising how to lock up the ball, fearing a stripping raid from Munster.

With the Blues railing by six points, Crichton surged towards the tryline but in his way was the wily Maroons five-eighth, who managed to get under the ball and strip possession back to Queensland in the 73rd minute.

“I had it in the back of my head that it was going to happen, I wasn’t protecting the ball as much as I should have,” Crichton said.

“I kind of knew he was going to grip the ball to steal it but I bumped to get out of (the tackle) but he kind of stripped it from under the ball. It was still my fault, I still had to hold onto the ball properly.”

Staggs picked up a shoulder cork in Wednesday’s bruising clash but Blues coach Brad Fittler is hopeful the centre will be available for selection in game two.

“100 per cent I’ll be ready,” Crichton said about replacing Staggs. “Obviously, I hope Kotoni’s shoulder is all good for him to go back to club footy as well so he can play game two as well. But if the chance comes around I will definitely be ready.”

Kotoni Staggs injured his shoulder in Origin I. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

The calls Fittler must make to save NSW from disaster

-David Riccio

They were the two selection calls that polarised the state of NSW.

Firstly, Blues coach Brad Fittler’s decision to play utility Jack Wighton and pick Panthers ace Stephen Crichton on the bench.

And secondly, Fittler handing Reagan Campbell-Gillard his second Blues jersey in four years over pack mainstay Jake Trbojevic.

Also left out of the beaten Blues line-up on Wednesday night were 18th man and Mr Fix-It Nicho Hynes and 19th man with raw power and leg speed, Tyson Frizell.

Brad Fittler has many questions to ponder as the Blues look to save the series.

Both players, as well as Trbojevic, must come under serious consideration for Origin II on Sunday, June 26 in Perth.

Hynes with his X-factor, Frizell with his force and Trbojevic with his never-say-die defensive mindset could prove pivotal.

Trailing 16-4 and with 20-minutes remaining last night, Blues legend Andrew Johns claimed NSW had “run out of answers in attack.’’

Fittler has 18-days to come up with the solutions to save the state from surrendering the State of Origin shield to Queensland.

Campbell-Gillard had the opportunity of a lifetime to deliver for NSW.

He wasn’t in the Blues squad 10-days ago, but with NSW incumbent Daniel Saifiti (knee) unavailable, the Blues hierarchy ran out of ‘big men’ to choose from.

NSW entered the match warm favourites, but were floored by a defiant Queensland side.. Picture: Getty

So much so, Daniel’s brother Jacob was parachuted into the extended squad.

Instead, it was the Eels prop Campebll-Gillard that was handed his second NSW jersey since 2018, by not just joining the Blues final-17, but elevated an hour before kick-off into the starting front-row alongside Payne Haas.

In his first-half stint, Campbell-Gillard played just 21-minutes with five runs culminating in 37-metres.

He finished the match with a further 15-minutes and a game total of 10-runs for 87-metres, according to Fox Sports Stats.

With the Blues searching for field position in the closing stages of the match, the NSW pack were labouring.

“Struggling to get forward, Brad Fittler spoke about it halftime,’’ Johns pointed out on Nine’s TV coverage.

Blues veteran Tyson Frizell was in the extended squad, but missed out on a game-day jersey. Could that change in Game 2? Picture: Richard Dobson

Would Frizell, renowned for his fearless carries, have made that difference? That’s a question Fittler must consider ahead of a series-defining game two.

Trbojevic may not have won the game with his hit-ups, but with the Manly leader’s ability to make an average of 40 tackles per-game, it’s his own version of “Queensland’s” never-say-die attitude that NSW were missing last night.

Ultimately, that’s why Queensland won.

“They saved more tries than we did,’’ NSW halfback Nathan Cleary said, pointedly.

Wighton must stay at centre for game two, but the value of keeping Crichton on the bench, must be dissected in the wash-up of last night’s loss.

Undeniably, the Raiders captain repaid the faith of Fittler in spades.

Wighton’s defence, particularly his line-speed, was ferocious.

Jack Wighton repaid Fittler’s faith in spades. Picture NRL photos

With the nightmares of his sub-par 2020 series at centre imprinted on his brain, Wighton did everything possible to inspire the Blues.

He saved more tries with last-ditch tackles than what he did in scoring one of his own to get the Blues rolling on the scoreboard in the 15th minute.

As Johns also said: ‘He’s been NSW best.’’

16 of Queensland’s 22 series wins have come when winning game one.

“It’s a leg in the door, but a couple of years ago we did this and let it go,’’ Maroons star and man of the match last night Cam Munster said.

NSW must find something special to stop the trend that now favours Munster’s Maroons.

The TAB reacted immediately to the task that now faces NSW, installing them as $3.50 outsiders to come back and win the series.

Originally published as State of Origin 2022: Stephen Crichton on the difficulty of being the Blues’ unlikely bench warmer