‘Everyone cheered when it was over’: State of Origin 2 pre-match entertainment torn to shreds

Australian rockband Wolfmother wheeled out their massive hit Joker and the Thief ahead of the big game, but safe to say it could have gone better.

Australian rock band Wolfmother wheeled out their massive hit Joker and the Thief ahead of the much-hyped State of Origin Game 2, but it went down with a whimper.

Led by vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, Wolfmother has amassed a diehard worldwide fanbase throughout their career but on Wednesday night they weren’t met with the adoration and cheers they are used to.

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They played one song, Joker and the Thief, an anthem that soared up the charts in 2006 and is a wholly recognisable tune in a brief performance.

But many felt the performance of the iconic anthem left a lot to be desired.

You can watch Wolfmother’s pre-game performance in the player at the top of the page.

Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother performs before Game 2 of the Men's State of Origin. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

One fan tweeted: “NRL is stuck in a time warp. Wolfmother? A song from 2005? Come on..”

Another quipped: “I hope Wolfmother didn’t cost anything.”

And a third declared “This sounds deadset awful” while another asked “is this Temu Wolfmother?”.

While another added “Everyone cheered when it was over” and “What on earth was that”.

There were some fans, however, who thought it was short but sweet.

“Wolfmother get it … when you get the short footy gigs … play your biggest hit and play the f**ker loud. Outstanding stuff.”

Another added: “WA bringing it.”

So what did you think?

Originally published as ‘Everyone cheered when it was over’: State of Origin 2 pre-match entertainment torn to shreds