And so it has come to this. New South Wales and Queensland with one win each in the 2008 State of Origin campaign. ANZ Stadium in Sydney is the host for Origin III, the decider. It is a ground for which Queensland has little love. But after blowing New South Wales off the park in Origin 2, the Cane Toads are deserved favourites (though they will still try and claim underdog status).
Thurston, Inglis, Prince, Folau. A dream combination which could be a nightmare for New South Wales. Thurston enjoys the extra room at five-eight and so does Inglis. He was sent on many a raid down the left side of the field by Thurston in game 2. An obvious tactic for New South Wales is to keep Inglis quiet. And that means shutting Thurston down.
This is where the New South Wales forwards need to step up. They lacked penetration in game 2 and gifted many metres to Queensland and no platform for Wallace. While Anasta and Pearce are in great form for the Roosters, it will mean nothing if the forwards fail to give them room. The one forward that needs to stamp his authority on the game is Willie Mason. He talks tough but seems a “flat track bully.” If the team is going well Mason will dominate against lesser opponents. But when the going gets tough, Mason has a tendency to disappear.
This is his game. An inspirational effort will seem in the Blues jumper for many season to come. Another failure and it could mean the end of his representative career. Unless Fulton, Daley and co are selectors again next year. There is some disquiet around Sydney town regarding selections this year. This decider will either vindicate the selectors or give the armchair critics (and I’m one of them) further ammunition for blogging and to join in a chorus of “We told you so.”
It will be a close game. It will be a mighty game. The fields of battle shall ring to the crash of bodies, the whistle of Tony Archer and disputes questioning the parentage and visual acuity of the aforementioned ref from both sides of the border. My tip as ever is for New South Wales to redeem themselves at the last moment; to tear away the veil of darkness and herald a new dawn for New South Wales in Origin.
23-16 and the Blues victorious once more.
Join in the fun here at LP. I’ll also be live blogging the game as Sidelined which will commence sometime between 7:30 and 8:00pm with the ceremonial bagging of Ben Ikin.
PS Some may find this post a little less maroon than Brian’s efforts. Blue is a more appealing colour dont cha think? 
Go Queensland, why we have to wait till 7 30 in Perth is a bloody pain,I,m Perth born and bred by the way.
[Go Queensland, why we have to wait till 7 30 in Perth is a bloody pain,I,m Perth born and bred by the way.]
At least it’s better than being shown t Midnight, and in the case of Wimbledon, not at all
Can’t stand that soppy blue colour or why anyone would want to wear it!
Speaking of NSW selectors, Brett Finch wants Fulton sacked. Says he’s a crappy selector and shouldn’t criticise Brett’s dad, who happens to be the referees’ boss.
Speaking of referees, Bellamy was ballistic that penalties went from 6 to 16. The ref wouldn’t let his boys do whatever they wanted, apparently. According to Bellamy, lying all over the opposition, not getting back 10 metres, taking off early etc makes for entertaining open football. Wanker!
I guess Bellamy also thinks Mason should be allowed to strip the ball in a double tackle and get away with it. Is Mason coached to do those things, or doesn’t he have a brain? I’m assuming he’s got a brain BTW, so…
I’m thinking the Blues will win again, though probably once again through lousy adjudication.
There, how’s that for an unbiassed run down?!
ummmmmm being a Victorian, this is a mystery. Is it related in any way to that nice Mr Darwin’s book, “The Origin of the Species”?
I must hasten away to clean my muddy knuckles again.
There were two stories of interest in the Courier Mail this morning. Warren Ryan says Robert Finch was about as cranky with Bozo as was his son. And apparently Bozo and co picked the team on the basis of what they thought the penalty count would be. How dumb is that, says Ryan. So Bellamy really did think his players should be allowed to lie all over the opposition when they had attacking momentum. I guess it’s just not fair if the referee does his job!
The second is that Bellamy might quit after the series. It seems he’s not happy with some of the NSW officials and doesn’t like coaching against his own players.
Interesting, but probably irrelevant to tonight’s game.
Ambigulous, on show tonight you’ll see the most highly evolved specimens of our species. According to certain criteria, of course.
Yeah, Big Willy’s a problem. They should replace him with Belinda Neal.
Crikey, if I try to call mum tonight it’ll be, “what are you calling now for, the footy’s on”.
Go the maroons.
My actual I was there football memory is of seeing Wally Lewis getting into a fight on a rainy night in front of a full house at Lang Park with a bloke who’s name was Mark Geyer (I might be wrong).
Now I live in Melbourne I should have an AFL team, I guess.
State of Origin is actually “rigged” as if two teams are more or less equal then a home ground advantage is usually decisive. The third game should be on neutral territory or they should play just two games and if level decide the matter on points. It’s simply ridiculous to allow one team the advantage of two home games.
C’mon Brian. That’s the excuse NSW are going to use if they lose. That is the whole point of Fulton’s tirade against Finch. And I agree with The Wok’s article. If NSW lose, Fulton had already aired his excuse. Much better than admitting culpability for his inept selections in the first two games.
Saw Warren Ryan at the pub last Saturday watching the Gold Coast Koalas vs St Merge. Did a good job commenting about it Sunday, all things considered.
But he does know what he is talking about on matters NRL.
Jason they tried that remember, taking the decider to Melbourne. You’d never see QLD giving up their home advantage though, which is why this year we’re staying in Sydney for the third game.
GO THE BLUES!
Thanks Brian/Brain, so it’s a “nature doco” is it?
Ambigulous, after writing all that grim climate change stuff, I’m thinking it’s only a game. But you can see in it whatever you want, within reason.
Darlene, that would have been Mark Geyer. I think the story was that Wally was trying to goad Geyer into losing it and getting himself sent off.
Sorry Guys - I’ve moved and won’t be able to join in liveblogging - the worst of it is - I’VE MOVED TO SYDNEY where I’ll be watching with the enemy. I look forward to reading up tomorrow. Go the maroons.
Hmm, looks like I am again a lone blues supporter amongst a throng of maroons. Well I did move north of the border, but then it is State of Origin so I must cleave to the principle. Whereas others of my fambly turned immediately they crossed said border.
Which once nearly got me thrown off the Qld Govt jet by a former Minister.
Bugger it, go the blues.
Darlene, no need to lower yourself to supporting an AFL team. You can always support the Storm.
And I’ve started bagging Ben Ikin over at Sidelined so live blogging is happening.
Good stuff Jason. And don’t worry Phil, there are some Blues supporters here.
At halftime NSW are looking the better side. The loss of Prince seems to have unsettled the QLD attack. But the difference is only two points so still anyone’s game.
Gidley the best for the Blues and Pearce has been solid. Inglis and Folau always dangerous for QLD.
Great live blog, Shaun. If you replace Prince with Slater in your paragraph 2, I think you spotted who ultimately proved to be the difference.
For those who came in late, Qld won 16-10. Shaun, our unsettled attack still scored 2 tries to NSW nil with Prince off the field.
One of the best players for us was Paul Gallen. I thought Thurston or Slater might have been given man of the match, or one of the forwards, but I guess I’m not unhappy with Folau.
NSW won the yardage game most of the night and so many dumb things were going wrong that it seemed the football gods were against us. But Gallen giving us a penalty in front of the posts and a NSW flat pass being called forward late in the match when they were pressing evened things up.
Three series in a row is great, and not done by Qld since Beetson was coaching in 1982-4, I think. Let’s make it four next year!
I didn’t runaway in disgust last night but straight after the game parenting duties called and couldn’t get back to the innertubes.
The QLD did look unsettled most of the game. It lacked structure. It was the individual brilliance of Folau and Thurston that swung the game. But you are right that Gallen was an influential player for QLD. The shortcomings of his niggling style of play were exposed and he should never be picked again for rep footy.
Mason was ok. He did some hard runs but was the dominant figure a few expected him to be. And I don’t think he ever will be. Pearce was solid but Anasta’s, while not doing anything wrong, didn’t provide any extra spark.
And that was the difference between the two sides. While NSW has a solid, hardworking team, they lack gamebreakers like Thurston, Inglis and Folau. How NSW would have like Mateo to be eligible.
But congrats to Queensland. You wanted it more and held in their last night when it got tough.
Don’t just expect to win next year.
After an Origin threepeat decider won on the basis of overhead skills, I presume Queensland will impose a 12 month moratorium on any derision of ‘aerial ping-pong’ skills?
After watching the game on wednesday night. I would like to know what Phil Gould is being paid for on channel 9?. Is it for being a pretty good judge of football, or for being a blues supporter. if it’s for being a supporter, “buy a ticket mate and watch like the rest of us”. Its was pretty hard listening to him on wednesday with that look of disgused all over his face, surely someone has to make me aware that he’s in the TV bussiness.
PS Tahnks to Paul Gallon, Rryan Hoffman and the NSW number 6, we could’nt have won it with out you