State of Origin 2016: Adam Reynolds says he felt like he belonged in Origin I

HE played under excruciating pressure but new NSW halfback Adam Reynolds felt like he belonged at State of Origin level.

Adam Reynolds made his Origin debut in Game I.

HE played under excruciating pressure but new NSW halfback Adam Reynolds felt like he belonged at State of Origin level.

Maybe, just maybe, NSW has found its next long-term halfback.

Reynolds was most impressive in his NSW debut despite being unable to muster enough magic to deny Queensland an uncompromising 6-4 win at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night.

Asked did he feel he belonged at Origin level, Reynolds said: “Yeah mate, I felt comfortable.

“There are obviously areas where I need to improve but I thought my defence was good and I thought I steered the team around nicely with James Maloney and Robbie Farah.

“I loved the arena. It was special being out there on the field. I thoroughly enjoyed the week with the boys and hopefully there are many more to come.

“Towards the back-end of the game, we sort of fell apart trying to chase the game. I suppose we will learn from it.

“It (Origin football) was everything that everyone had talked about, the pace of the game, the physicality, everything, it lived up to the hype. I really enjoyed being apart of it.”

Reynolds entered the game as a Maroons target. The kid though was cool, calm and controlled and never looked rattled or unsettled.

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Reynolds’ kicking game was sound and he is certain to be retained for State of Origin II in Brisbane on June 22.

Asked about the pressure, Reynolds said: “I don’t read too many papers or listen to outside influences.

“It was just another game. I am very passionate about wearing the Blues jersey. I just wanted to do my teammates proud tonight and hopefully I lived up to their expectations.”

Blues enforcer James Tamou spoke about the heartbreaking two-point loss.

NSW players sat shattered in their dressing room at fulltime, knowing full well they must beat Queensland at Suncorp Stadium to keep the series alive.

Could Reynolds be the man to end the Blues drought?

“No points in the second half (on Wednesday night). I think in that second half, we had the arm-wrestle won. A few of their boys were looking a bit sluggish and tired,” Tamou said. “If we did a few things better in attack, we could have got some points on the board.”

Asked was NSW the better side, Tamou said: “It’s hard to say when you lose the game but I do mate, I really do.

“In defence, we were better, everyone was keen, there were a lot of players in our kick-chase and we hammered them at their end. Things could be better attacking wise. If we could have put points on the board it could have been a different result.”

Originally published as State of Origin 2016: Adam Reynolds says he felt like he belonged in Origin I