Summary
NSW are back. After losing out in a breathless Origin I classic in Sydney, the Blues reasserted themselves in Perth with a commanding victory over Queensland.
The game was nip-and-tuck for 38 minutes, with the Maroons arguably the more dangerous side in attack, but a sin-binning to Felise Kaufusi just before half-time transformed the game. NSW soon crossed with the man advantage, then heaped wave after wave of pressure on the Queensland defence in the second half.
All of Brad Fittler’s many changes worked, especially the inclusion of Matt Burton in the centres. By contrast, Billy Slater will have to hope it really was just a case of one incident determining the outcome because otherwise he would be fearful at how easily his team was overrun in the second half. Of particular concern would be how nervous his backs looked under Burton’s bombs, and how little impact his forwards made off the bench to wrestle control - in stark contrast to game one.
It sets everything up beautifully for a series decider at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday 13 July. Feel free to come back and joins us for that one. Until then, I’ll leave you with tonight’s match report.
Jake Trbojevic gets a name-check on TV for his effort, and Matt Burton gets a special mention. He was superb in the centres with ball in hand, deserved his try, and proved a serious menace with his massive left boot. “One of our best, I reckon,” beamed Tedesco. “He is just a footy player. He has done so well at the Bulldogs. In the centres for Penrith, he was one of the best centres in the game. He is an all-round footy player and he was putting up some of those kicks that were hard to take.”
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James Tedesco is a happy skipper. “We were hungrier. We spoke about that during the week. We had to be more brutal, more hungry. No second chances. I felt we did that. The discipline didn’t let us down. The second half was pleasing.”
Understandably, Cameron Munster focussed on the sin-bin near half-time as the turning point. “They were too good tonight. We tried to match their energy in the first half. We did that. In the second half it was tough with Kaufusi off the field obviously. We dug deep for 10 minutes but it obviously took a toll on us in the back end of the game. When they have the ball too much, they score points. We were very poor tonight... Fingers crossed we can improve and be better in game 3.”
“Came with the mentality of win or die tonight,” pants Jarome Luai. “Proud of the boys. They stuck it with an 80 minute performance and we overcame the Queenslanders. It was an intense week. Every day. Every day, the boys came in and ripped in. That’s the mentality we need to keep in every camp.”
Full-time: NSW 44-12 Queensland
A powerful statement from the Blues. Origin heads to game three in Brisbane very much alive.
78 mins: There’s a stoppage in play to check a dangerous tackle on Harry Grant from Damien Cook. It was a third-man dive below the knees of a carrier already held. No harm done, but that looked ugly in real time.
CONVERTED TRY! NSW 44-12 Queensland (A. Crichton, 75)
More chaos ball deep in Queensland territory. With bodies strewn all over the place NSW bring the ball infield and eventually there’s a massive hole for Angus Crichton to jog under the posts. It looked like a clear obstruction in the build-up, but the TMO chose not to interject and the rout continues.
Cleary is filling his boots.
74 mins: Munster goes back to fullback to deputise and does Munster things, passing across his in-goal area on the bounce to attempt to set up a counter. The contest has devolved. NSW are rampant. Queensland ragged.
73 mins: Cleary has been put on report for his role in Ponga leaving the field for an HIA.
70 mins: We’re now into the “what does this mean for Origin III?” territory. Fittler’s changes have worked. Burton in particular has been outstanding while Trbojevic has stiffened the pack. How much psychological damage will this heavy defeat inflict on Queensland, and how can Billy Slater respond?
CONVERTED TRY! NSW 38-12 Queensland (Cleary, 67)
Another six points for Nathan Cleary. The Blues rumbled downfield following the kick-off schmozzle and by the time they get to the right corner the ball infield finds Cleary with time to pick a line through the broken Queensland defence and skip under the posts. It is now a rout.
66 mins: Holmes makes a mess of the attempted short restart. It’s all gone Pete Tong for the Maroons.
GOAL! NSW 32-12 Queensland (Cleary, 65)
A couple more points for Cleary.
It's Nathan's night. 👏#Origin pic.twitter.com/EV4rV4xh8H
— NRL (@NRL) June 26, 2022
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TRY! NSW 30-12 Queensland (Cleary, 64)
... and after Burton’s brilliance, NSW waste no time. Cleary accepts the pass from dummy half, steps off his left, carves a beautiful angle infield towards the posts, accepts contact, reaches over and touches down. Clinical from Cleary, and sweet redemption following Origin I criticism.
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64 mins: NSW are making gains with every carry. Tedesco is everywhere, playing at warp speed. Queensland are out on their feet. Cleary lets them off with a loose play the ball, but the superb Burton soon continues the mauling with a 1-1 strip of Gagai.
62 mins: Burton’s left boot is a serious weapon. Again he makes Ponga’s life uncomfortable and means Queensland are attacking from 98m out. They make few inroads and NSW are rolling. This could end up a rout.
GOAL! NSW 26-12 Queensland (Cleary, 60)
Cleary kicks a couple more points. The series will be alive in Brisbane.
JAROME LUAI. 🔥🔥🔥#Origin pic.twitter.com/LN99rmHboD
— NRL (@NRL) June 26, 2022
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TRY! NSW 24-12 Queensland (Luai, 59)
That’ll do it. From the drop-out, Burton bursts down the left, and from the play the ball the game is static with Luai looking to pass infield, but Gagai and Nanai go to sleep as markers, the NSW half spots the gap, darts through it and dives over. Schoolboy stuff in isolation, but the product of an hour of agonising mental and physical effort for the Maroon defence.
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59 mins: NSW are controlling the game superbly, and it’s Cleary again, kicking on tackle four, turning Ponga, and Crichton chases like a Cheetah mauling an antelope and earns the first line drop-out of the night.
57 mins: Hunt kicks on three, turning To’o into his left corner. It needs a strong defensive set to back up that concession of possession - and the Maroons deliver - but Cleary is undeterred, belting a magnificent attempted 40-20 that goes inches from an Origin highlight reel. Even so, Queensland have a full set deep in their own half and the Blues re-establish supremacy in midfield.
55 mins: NSW taking no risks with ball in hand, but they still pound the middle through Tedesco, and with Burton’s left boot and Cleary’s right, they have a menacing and penetrating kicking game which almost pays dividends again.
54 mins: What have Queensland got in response? It’s up to them to set the terms now after that NSW onslaught either side of half-time. Ponga, Carrigan, and Hunt all make handy yards down the middle, but it still leaves DCE with a lot to do from his kick, which is easily gathered by To’o.
GOAL! NSW 20-12 Queensland (Cleary, 52)
Cleary kicks NSW beyond a converted try. It looks a very handy margin right now the way the game has evolved.
TRY! NSW 18-12 Queensland (Tupou, 51)
Still they come! Another NSW bomb goes to ground and the pressure will not relent. And this time it pays! Cleary spots the overlap on the right, waits for the moment to pick his pass and cuts out two blue jerseys with ease, spinning the ball into the chest of his right winger who has the easy job of touching down.
50 mins: NSW are determined to score early in this half and hammer at Queensland at pace. It takes superb defence to keep them at bay, including a miraculous scoop off the ground form Munster to collect Tupou’s chip through and avoid the drop-out concession. Kaufusi is welcomed to the field with a massive Paulo hit. I could feel that from my sofa. The Blues are pushing hard.
48 mins: A much safer set run out of defence from Queensland ends with NSW almost conceding the sloppiest of tries when Tupou hurled a loose pass infield to Tedesco, but no harm done... but it does eat up valuable seconds to allow Kaufusi to return to the field and we’re back to 13 v 13.
46 mins: Spillage in contact on halfway and NSW pounce! Agonising for the Maroons trying to wind the clock down with 12 men, but the Blues capitalise and almost cross in the right corner through Tupou. They probe to the left, then to the right, pressure mounting and a try surely imminent against the undermanned defence - but there’s a forward pass! Awful from Crichton behind the play-the-ball, lobbing to Paulo and coughing up a guaranteed six points. Queensland survive!
44 mins: Queensland make good yardage but then fail to execute on the last. Taulagi keeps the ball alive and NSW look nervy in broken field defence. A kick through causes panic but it’s eventually claimed and cleared. Can NSW make gains against 12 on this set? No. Good central defence from the Maroons forces Cleary to kick from range.
42 mins: Queensland survive the restart set with NSW taking no risks through the middle. It is a set that ends with the most incredible kick from Burton though, left-footed miles into the air and spinning like a bouncing bomb, impossible to grab, and Taulagi has to accept it on the bounce near his line. However, the Blues soon transgress in defence and the Maroons accept a penalty with relish.
The teams are out for the second half. Can Queensland survive with 12 men for the next eight minutes?
“The Blues deservedly lead at half time,” emails BTL regular HarryofOz. “The Maroons won the forward battle in Game 1, and we are winning it so far in Game 2.”
“The effort is definitely there, as is the intensity but the quality I feel is down from the first game overall. Maybe the pitch is making it difficulty to run properly - there have been a few slips - so that may be a factor. We did look somewhat disorganised in our sets deep in the Queensland twenty.” Agree on all fronts. The NSW bench has also clearly made an impact. Luai remains below par. I wonder if his position comes under threat when Wighton is fit again? Burton has started superbly.
That came to life all of a sudden. NSW controlled the opening 20 minutes without looking overly threatening. The Queensland bench again freshened things up and the Maroons hit the front courtesy of a couple of tries, the second of which was a beauty. But they couldn’t withstand a long sustained spell of pressure in the shadow of half-time, and not only that they lost Kaufusi to the bin. Advantage NSW with 40 minutes remaining.
Half-time: NSW 14-12 Queensland
Cleary curls the touchline conversion over to send NSW to the sheds with their noses in front.
That Penrith connection in full force. 😮💨#Origin pic.twitter.com/Zumm2lDM8K
— NRL (@NRL) June 26, 2022
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TRY! NSW 12-12 Queensland (To'o, 40)
... and they do. A couple of tackles under the posts then catch-pass to the left ends with Burton offloading beautifully for To’o to scamper around the outside.
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Sin-bin! Kaufusi (Queensland)
39 mins: Queensland stand firm on the right. Burton changes the line of attack jinking infield. Paulo hammers the line. A try is surely coming. ANOTHER SIX-AGAIN! And Ashley Klein has had enough. Kaufusi is sent to the bin for the latest infringement. Surely, surely, the Blues score now.
37 mins: A full set 20m out becomes a full set 10m out, becomes a full set 5m out as the six-again klaxon reverberates around Optus Stadium. NSW probe to the left, then look to use the space on the right but rely on Tupou’s superb hands to avoid a breakaway counterattack try. The focus turns to the left but there’s no space. Cleary kicks crossfield to the corner and Taulagi climbs above Tupou to defuse the bomb and the Maroons survive. But do they? There’s a penalty against Holmes for impeding Tupou’s leap! More pressure to come from NSW.
35 mins: The first mistake in the air from Queensland in almost three halves of Origin footy with Cobbo failing to grab a Cleary bomb. NSW try to exploit broken field but the Maroons scramble defence superbly - yet again. However, the play returns to the original knock-on, the Blues have A1 field position.
34 mins: Queensland have scored two lovely tries, the second especially, but both have originated from unnecessary NSW penalties. Brad Fittler must be fuming towards the end of a half his side have largely controlled.
GOAL! NSW 8-12 Queensland (Holmes, 32)
Holmes makes no mistake.
That's MUNNY. 🤑#Origin pic.twitter.com/eaJGwP8miw
— NRL (@NRL) June 26, 2022
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TRY! NSW 8-10 Queensland (Munster, 31)
Magnificent try from Queensland! Liquid rugby league! Hunt controls the tempo near halfway but it’s Ponga who makes it, dashing on the angle to the outside left, creating the half-space. At the last moment Ponga offloads to Holmes, who feeds the ball back inside to Munster on the shoulder who has 25m to travel next to the posts. That was exhilarating, incisive, and technically precise. Superb try.
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30 mins: Back to the arm-wrestle either side of halfway, and after a solid set from NSW the Blues concede a cheap penalty for not releasing Carrigan in the tackle.
Lindsay Collins is off for an HIA
GOAL! NSW 8-6 Queensland (Cleary, 28)
Cleary kicks the Blues back in front with the minimum of fuss.
DAMN. The kick from Cleary and Burton on debut... 🤤#Origin pic.twitter.com/Jo7c8IDxmv
— NRL (@NRL) June 26, 2022
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TRY! NSW 6-6 Queensland (Burton, 27)
With Cleary as point guard NSW cut to the right but Queensland scramble well. The ball comes back infield but Cleary and Luai lack momentum and play stalls. But that pause suits Cleary who draws DCE in towards him before kicking around the onrushing defender for Burton to pounce, collect the bouncing ball and dive over. Excellent improvised footy from the NSW half.
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26 mins: Queensland back up their try with a solid set near halfway, but they invite pressure with a ruck infringement on Paulo signalling the six-again klaxon.
Cam Murray is back on following his HIA.
GOAL! NSW 2-6 Queensland (Holmes, 24)
Midway between the right touchline and the right upright Holmes makes no mistake.
Opener. ✊🔴#Origin pic.twitter.com/Ukk2NbHeLL
— NRL (@NRL) June 26, 2022
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TRY! NSW 2-4 Queensland (Kaufusi, 23)
Queensland have only felt in this game for about three minutes, and that phase of play ends with a try! From the penalty, the Maroons control the ball from the middle to the right through multiple pairs of quick hands until Ponga delays his pass superbly for the onrushing Kaufusi to burst through the line then have enough strength to accept contact near the line, reach over and score.
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22 mins: Carrigan has made a difference in his short time on the field and the midfield is now more even with Queensland gaining momentum in the guts. Two sets in a row now NSW have done little more than clear their lines. Their work is only going to increase after Trbojevic is penalised for tipping Cobbo on the 30m line. Very un-Origin-like, the NSW enforcer immediately apologises to the Queensland winger.
21 mins: Another harmless, aimless Queensland attack ends with little threat to the NSW line. The Blues cruise to halfway but Luai’s kick is poor.
19 mins: To’o does well to accept contact and find the offload but with space opening up down the left Luai can’t hold onto a juggling ball. NSW are threatening to break this game open but Queensland are just hanging in.
18 mins: Queensland march downfield and on the last Tedesco tries to step inside but he slips on this greasy surface and concedes the turnover. The game is very much on the Blues’ terms. Grant and Carrigan are again required to make an impression off the bench.
16 mins: Queensland have offered practically nothing so far in attack tonight, but they almost land the first try. A mundane set ends with DCE chipping a grubber inside To’o, who has an age to deal with the situation, but he elects to try to let the ball run into touch, only to find Cobbo lurking in his shadow ready to pounce. The ball bounces nicely, but the youngster can’t ground safely and the chance goes begging. Almost a horror mistake from the Panther there but it goes unpunished.
14 mins: NSW run the ball on tackle two and make gains down the left through Burton. Yeo then punches the line to set up Cleary to bomb. Ponga handles it superbly under pressure but it leaves the Maroons 95m to travel. They make barely five of them in four tackles with the Blues’ defence all over the Maroon forwards. And another charge down! This time the ricochet works in Queensland’s favour and Ponga can scamper away to clear his lines. Soon afterwards there’s a ruck infringement against Luai and from a very unappealing situation the Queenslanders are on the attack.
GOAL! NSW 2-0 Queensland (Cleary, 12)
Cleary makes no mistake off the boot and the Blues have an early advantage.
“Just the matter of fact way the commentator said ‘he’s got blood coming out of his ear’,” notes my editor in reference to Cam Murray. Bloody love rugby league.
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11 mins: From the restart the ball comes loose in the carry - it’s another strip! This time Cleary is within range and he will go for the two points.
10 mins: Another early Queensland kick turning the NSW defence around and sending them back to the 10m line. The Maroons playing like a boxer staying behind their jab. It looks to have paid dividends when Martin loses the ball coming out of defence - but Tedesco makes a Captain’s Challenge appealing for a strip - and he’s successful! The game changes in an instant and the Blues have good attacking field position.
However, in the background Murray is off for an HIA after a high shot from Taulagi that will be looked at.
8 mins: NSW get well beyond halfway on the set, then recover the high ball to the right. As with Origin I broken field play doesn’t suit the Blues, Queensland retain their structure and the second kick on the last tackle is hurriedly scrubbed into touch.
A few players slipping over in these early exchanges.
6 mins: Queensland don’t hand around. Munster soon has the ball in his hands running across the line in that jinking matador style of his. He spots a window on the right, the ball goes through hands and Cobbo flies full length... but is bumped into touch short of the line. Munster again such a danger.
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4 mins: The golden opportunity comes to nought. A few hits up the middle prepare the ground for NSW to spin the ball to the left but it’s sloppy, the ball goes to ground at the centre position and ends up dribbling harmlessly into touch. Queensland make little ground in response and Cherry-Evans kicks early in the set to buy territory. It doesn’t work though as Tedesco wriggles and spins through a couple of tacklers and breaks the line! NSW are away! Until the whistle blows and Haas is called for obstruction during the breakaway. A couple of huge let-offs early for the Maroons, who now have great attacking field position.
3 mins: Cleary charges down Cherry-Evans’ kick near halfway and recovers the ball near the 10m line. NSW immediately with the bit between their teeth.
2 mins: Good early start for the NSW pack who deny Queensland any space on their first carry out of defence. The Maroons respond in kind, dumping Tupou then Haas in consecutive bone-rattling hits.
Kick off!
Nathan Cleary gets Origin II underway in Perth...
Dangerously close to scheduled, Origin II is upon us.
Difficult to discern a change in pitch when the Blues ran out. A very I’M EXCITED vibe.
Here come the Maroons, jogging out onto Optus Stadium. They are the nominal away side tonight, but they have plenty of support in WA.
Hey Coles, if you're wondering why these didn't sell, no self respecting #Queenslander is going to use a water bottle plastered in #NSWblues supporter bands https://t.co/IMOk2nCoUn
— Dave Earley (@earleyedition) June 26, 2022
#StateofOrigin #QLDER @QLDmaroons @JPHowcroft pic.twitter.com/CO2AtRkTUL
Ashley Klein is once again the man in the middle, a decision reportedly not to the delight of the NSW camp who thought the referee did not clamp down enough on Queensland ruck infringements in Origin I.
Conditions: Look, it’s Perth, what do you expect? Of course there are cloudless skies, balmy midwinter temperatures, and just the slightest of breezes.
“Madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin,” intones Phil Gould like a forgotten Chris Morris character. Bloody love Origin.
Banter.
Also, are Queensland Police suggesting the Maroons are about to commit a crime?
Hey @WA_Police you may not know what rugby league is but there’s only one team you need to know about tonight.#origin pic.twitter.com/rmOMFQUFSh
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) June 26, 2022
While you’re waiting for the action to get underway, enjoy lifelong Bears tragic Sam Perry keeping the dream alive.
Speaking earlier of the NSW changes to the ruck, Billy Slater reckons they’ve made the Blues a more dangerous proposition, telling Nine: “I see a huge strength in their dummy half position. Firstly with Apisai Koroisau starting the game, he’s got a great craft around dummy half area and then we’re anticipating Damien Cook to come on somewhere late in that first half. So when he gets there, he’s an explosive runner. So that’s what we’ve worked hard on this week. It will be a big strength of their game.”
Time for Grinspoon to churn through some generic 00s rock on a flame effect stage in the middle of Optus Stadium. Incidentally, if you grin into a spoon you will look like Pete Townshend from The Who.
Tonight is the second occasion Origin has crossed the Nullarbor. Back in 2019 the Blues blitzed their way to a 38-6 hammering. NSW crossed for six tries that night but none of the tryscorers are in the line-up this evening.
Throw🔙 to the last time #Origin was played in Perth! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/N0LhBGETZB
— NRL (@NRL) June 20, 2022
Mate vs mate, stat vs stat.
Here's how the @QLDmaroons and @NSWBlues stack up heading into #Origin II 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/4G0yoLTKlJ
— NRL (@NRL) June 22, 2022
The message coming out of NSW is more creativity than Origin I, especially off the bench. The introduction of Api Koroisau at hooker nudges Damien Cook to the pine, from where he has been backed to have more of an impact.
“It helps me I reckon,” skipper James Tedesco just told Andrew Johns. “He [Koroisau] has done it for a number of years at Penrith, Cookie is coming on fresh, 23rd minute mark, plays some havoc hopefully through the middle.”
Queensland XVII
By contrast, just the two injury-enforced changes to Queensland’s group with Xavier Coates and Reuben Cotter replaced by Murray Taulagi and Jai Arrow.
LOCKED & LOADED. 🔒#Origin pic.twitter.com/9GhLPMXK8h
— NRL (@NRL) June 26, 2022
NSW XVII
Brad Fittler isn’t going to die wondering. Wholesale changes were demanded and wholesale changes have been delivered. Jake Trbojevic makes a welcome return in the pack, while the replacement of the centres reflects the inability of the Blues to stretch the play in Sydney. The starting XIII now contains seven Panthers.
The game-breaking Tom Trbojevic and unpredictable Latrell Mitchell remain costly absentees.
Out: Jack Wighton, Kotoni Staggs, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Ryan Matterson, Tariq Sims.
In: Angus Crichton, Apisai Koroisau, Jake Trbojevic, Matt Burton, Siosifa Talakai.
CONFIRMED: Your @BrydensLawyers 1-19 for Game Two 💪🏽 #BackInBlue pic.twitter.com/i3Mp3QkTFf
— NSWBlues (@NSWBlues) June 25, 2022
Nick Tedeschi previews tonight clash in what could prove to be a referendum on Brad Fittler the coach.
While the pressure is certainly on NSW to keep the series alive, history suggests this is a very good spot for them. Brad Fittler has not lost a Game 2 during his tenure as coach, suggesting he has been able to make the necessary adjustments when required. And teams who lost the opener have won the last six when Game 2 is held at their home ground or on neutral turf. Fittler has taken a big gamble heading into Perth. Whether it pays off or not will decide not only the 2022 series but Fittler’s reputation as a coach.
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Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of - deep breath - the Brydens Lawyers NSW Sky Blues versus the unbranded Queensland Maroons in game two of the 2022 Ampol State of Origin series at Optus Stadium in Perth (AKA Origin II). Kick-off is 5.50pm local time (7.50pm on the east coast).
The best of rugby league enemies venture out of the heartland for one of the biggest fixtures on Australia’s sporting calendar, and they have gone all the way to WA to spread the gospel of the game born in a Huddersfield boozer.
Origin I was a belter, played at breakneck speed with nary an error to give anyone time to breathe. NSW entered as defending champions and clear favourites, but played an uncharacteristically subdued brand of football and were outmanoeuvred by the tenacity of a Queensland side playing on the limit, inspired by the maverick Cameron Munster. Debut coach Billy Slater continued where his record breaking playing career left off, and his decision to back a host of rookies paid off handsomely. The Maroons now only have to win one of the final two matches - neither hosted in NSW - to snaffle an unlikely shield.
Consequently, all the attention has been on NSW and coach Brad Fittler in the lead up to Origin II. Wholesale changes were expected, and duly delivered, with Fittler taking the not unreasonable decision to back-in a stack of Panthers from Penrith’s all-conquering NRL machine. “I have got to pick a team that I think is going to win, and I make no apologies for that,” Fittler said during the week.
Will the Blues make amends? Can the Maroons back up? How will I fare pumped to the gills with antihistamines following a freak hayfever attack? Stay tuned for the next few hours and find out.
Along the way, feel free to get in touch either by email or Twitter @JPHowcroft.
