How NSW saved the game, just 25 minutes too late

Ever since Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic played out of position at centre in 2021 – the last series NSW won – the toughest defensive role in the game has brought the Blues undone.

Joseph Suaalii’s already-infamous seventh-minute send-off (the other five in Origin history came in the 62nd minute or later), triggered rugby league’s version of Bill Murray waking every day to the same song in Groundhog Day.

In Adelaide last year Nicho Hynes found himself defending at right centre – where Cameron Munster shoved him off to set up a match-winning try in game one.

At Accor Stadium on Wednesday night, Tom Dearden had the Blues’ number as they tried to bail water out of their boat with a teaspoon.

Eventually Stephen Crichton, the game’s best defensive centre swapped sides, and plugged the leaks pouring through the Suaalii-shaped hole.

Unfortunately, the 25 minutes it took for that call to be made meant the game was already gone.

NSW were defending a man short on their right but actually had the numbers for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow’s first try. Dearden had the speed and smarts to identify prop Payne Haas at A-defender (the man closest to the ruck while in the defensive line) after a quick Pat Carrigan play-the-ball.

Liam Martin and Hynes were duly dragged in, a few offloads were thrown and that was that.

Dearden hit repeat for Tabuai-Fidow’s second five minutes later, again drawing Hynes out of sync, to the point he was paddling out of the defensive line and in no man’s land for the same result.

“There’s a little bit of confusion, who’s defending where, what side,” ex-Blues coach Brad Fittler reported from his sideline commentary duties.

Angus Crichton first shifted from left back-row to right centre, but only for one set, before shifting back. Cameron McInnes shuffled closer to the edge in an attempt to offer more speed on Martin’s inside shoulder.

Queensland kept coming down that edge, and it wasn’t until Stephen Crichton was switched to the right, and Angus settled in for 50 minutes defending in his place at left centre, that NSW were able to stop them.

The difference in having a specialist centre, and one with rare ability to not only read attacking plays, but stop them in their tracks, was stark.

Crichton was up and in, pressuring Jayden Su’A into an error a minute after he made the move. A minute before half-time, he was holding, sliding and cutting down Selwyn Cobbo by using his sideline as an extra defender.

“The send-off was unfortunate. But I thought NSW reacted poorly and didn’t make the change they needed to make as soon as [it happened],” Blues coaching great Phil Gould said at the break.

“They came into this game without a replacement in the backs. Their replacement for a man going down was for Hudson [Young] to play on the left and Crichton going to the right. They should’ve done that straight away.”

Hindsight is a luxury Michael Maguire and NSW didn’t have as they stared down 73 minutes of playing a man down against a rapid Maroons back line.

“It takes a bit of time to just try and get that bit of adjustment,” Maguire said afterwards.

“You’ve got two smart halves in the opposition that are looking for that area of where a player is [missing] ... All of a sudden you’ve got two smart players who are seeing the opposition able to look up and see the opportunities of a short side.

“I thought the boys adjusted quite well but you never plan for having a bloke off in a circumstance like that.”

The Blues’ interchange plans also went out the window as soon as Suaalii was marched.

Captain Jake Trbojevic – the sky blue glue in their middle defence – couldn’t get back on until the game was gone because Isaah Yeo’s mobility was needed inside the right-side back-rower.

Rookie Haumole Olakau’atu’s size was deployed in the middle rather than his usual right-edge to try and generate some go-forward as Reece Robson churned through 80 gut-busting minutes and 50 tackles.

Young didn’t see action until the 53rd minute as NSW fought admirably and Maguire saved fresh legs to keep the fightback going.

Hindsight tells you that 18th man Matt Burton on the bench and Crichton shifting sides straight away was the play.

The Blues have plenty to work with from the gritty, gutsy efforts Maguire wanted from his side, where Robson, Martin and the Crichtons worked until they dropped and a blown out scoreboard misled.

Once more though, the Blues have been stung by an out-of-position centre and go into game two needing to save the series, waking up to the same damn song again.

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