NSW-Queensland result was a foregone conclusion – until it wasn’t, writes Peter FitzSimons
Damn. Talk about the great escape!
After 20 minutes, the outcome of the match was so obvious that there was no point in watching the rest.
Queensland coach Billy Slater looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.
Blues coach Laurie Daley looked like the canary that had been mauled by the cat in the coal mine.
And how could they? Negative do you look like this?
What different scenes did they see as they looked out from their respective coaches’ boxes on Wednesday night?
Slater had imbibed the vision of a Queensland team that always operated on a level between imperious and imperial, but always single-handedly regal. Them be born To govern and they governed. Everything they tried worked. Every sleight of hand and foot turned out to be a trump card. The green was a flood of maroon jerseys streaming forward, engulfing the Blue traffic cones.
So what did Laurie Daley see? He saw a team whose defense was very good, whose offense was almost non-existent, and who appeared either drunk or confused. Were they seriously drunk or confused? So has there ever been a more disastrous opening line from a team at State of Origin?
I repeat: 20 minutes later the Blues were 20-0 down and the game was over; The question was how bad it would get from now on.
The symbol of their dominance was the opening try just minutes later.
Sam Walker tied the ball to a string and dribbled it with perfect weight through the Sydney drizzle. The ball slipped away, all the Blue jerseys frozen in limbo. Into the backfield where the Blues statues are located, Blues debutant center Robert Toia flew and got exactly where history said his heroes needed to get – first.
The next try was even better. Queensland chief Harry Grant got to the line just five meters from the Blues posts and did something so rare it doesn’t even have a name, so we’ll have to call it a “no-look backhand offload”. The ball went to Walker and then a furious Thomas Flegler wasn’t sure how the ball got into his hands, but he dropped it anyway.
The Blues had just finished debating amongst themselves when Queensland decided it was time to let Hammer go. The Maroons advanced down the left, the ball was lobbed goalwards and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow found himself in enough space to make Neil Armstrong feel right at home. He quickly walked towards her, picked up the ball and placed it on the ground for a beautiful view! Twenty zero!
The Queenslanders weren’t just winning; they were holding a master class on how to do this. Beyond the trials, it was clear that those north of the Tweeds were bigger, faster, tougher and more. loyalty. They were getting closer with every set of six 50 percent more meters than your rivals! The Great Blues players had surprisingly ordinary games. Brian To’o could barely make a pass. Stephen Crichton could barely pull off a trick.
Luckily a bit of magic from Nathan Cleary allowed Hudson Young to make it 20-6 just before half-time, but it was truly clear the game was over.
And halfway through the second half, Maroons full-back Kalyn Ponga was sent off for a sensational high shot. The game has suddenly changed!
Six minutes later Crichton came alive to slot Ethan Strange into the corner and the conversion was missed, making the score back to 20-10.
blues I couldn’t do itcan they?
It didn’t seem like it because they slaughtered the least fly – count them, THREE – try it.
But now Cleary takes matters into his own hands, the ball is in the same place, he straightens up, accelerates and charges to the line. For a moment there was hesitation among the Maroons, the slightest hesitation, the briefest uncertainty, and Cleary succeeded! 20-16.
And you know the rest. Don’t worry if you haven’t seen it 10 times already; You’ll see it 50 times in the next few days.
After superb leadership work from the entire team, James Tedesco miraculously collected a Cleary bomb and crossed just to the left of the posts. Cleary confidently converts his successful bomb and makes the big escape in 22-20 style.
I’m not sure the best team won the night.
But it was certainly the best escape in modern memory.
Peter FitzSimons is a journalist and columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect with: X.
