Luke Lewis try, Origin game 2
Yep, it’s on again with history to be made. Will Queensland seal an incredible sixth series win, or will the resurgent Blues prevail? Will Lockyer go out a winner, as Wally Lewis did by all of two points, or will he suffer Mal Meninga’s fate of losing his last match in front of a packed house at “The Cauldron”?
I’ll say straight out I’m expecting a Blues’ win.
The Qld team is marginally strengthened by the inclusion of Justin Hodges, if he lasts the match, and weakened by the exclusion of Dave Taylor through suspension.
The word seems to be that Beau Scott and Michael Jennings will be omitted from the NSW squad, leaving either Brett Morris or Jarryd Hayne in the centres. Plenty of talent whichever way it goes.
In the forwards, a repeat performance from Paul Gallen is like having an 18th man at your disposal. Last time he ran for 8o minutes and did as much in attack and defence as you could expect from two front rowers.
The mobility, speed, skill and aggression of the NSW pack, exemplified by the Luke Lewis try, from the Courier Mail Gallery, is probably the difference.
I saw statistics which showed that the most tackling was done by the Qld smaller men up front – Cam Smith, Ash Harrison, Lockyer and Thurston. The latter two made more tackles than at any time since 2005, the last time Ricky Stuart coached. I think it was significant enough to take the edge off their attack.
I think the result will be somewhere between a narrow win to Qld and a comfortable win to NSW. I’m expecting NSW to win and win well.
There were some side stories perhaps worth a mention.
At one stage Stuart made much of the build-up surrounding Lewis’s last match and how the NSW team were treated.
In fact Lewis made a sudden and late decision to retire after he and his wife were told that his young daughter was profoundly deaf. (Happily, she is doing well, he says, with a Cochlear implant.) He told Dick “Tosser” Turner when he came to the ground. Turner told the team when Lewis was out tossing the coin. The public were told over the PA 10 minutes from the end.
The second story is that Stuart and the NSW team failed to turn up to a scheduled last practice at Suncorp Stadium, arranging a secret session at Ballymore instead. Imagine his surprise when he found the place crawling with media. Ballymore is HQ for the Qld Reds and they had coincidentally called a press conference ahead of their Saturday finals match against the Canterbury Crusaders.
Finally, a bit about Dave Taylor’s suspension. Like some south of the border I can’t see much between the Akuila Uarte tackle and Taylor’s. Uarte was given one week by the Match Review Committee (Greg McCallum, Peter Louis and Bradley Clyde), Taylor was given four. Like Steve Mascort, I’d like an explanation. We are told they use videos for comparison. They would have their reasons. I’d just like to know what they were.
Uarte, with a guilty plea and no previous, was able to play. Taylor had previous and was always going to be in trouble unless the judiciary let him off completely, which would have been a joke. But the judiciary confirmed Taylor’s penalty. They too are completely stumm about their thinking.
Warren Ryan has a scheme where special matches like Origins and NRL finals get a higher rating, say 200 points instead of 100 for a week’s suspension. He’s been going on about it for a couple of years now. Eventually someone might listen.
Is this post a parody of the breathless commentary that this game seems to “demand”? I dare you to turn the volume off for the whole game and see just what the match itself is.
OK the first para was a bit purple, but I’m just going to enjoy the game, thanks. Some other time I’ll intellectualise about what the game is and has become.
I’m tipping QLD by 8.
Let’s not forget NSW have won 2 games in the past 3 years…going by the crowing south of the border you’d think it was the start of a dynasty.
Gallen played one good game and suddenly he’s the best player in the world?
By any stretch of the imagination QLD played poorly in both games. With the weight of possession they had in the first game they should have won by 20, and they just couldn’t execute successfully in both games.
I expect a complete turn around tonight.
Hopefully Ricky’s traditional bleating to the refs doesn’t have it’s usual effect and they have a decent game.
I’m not holding out much hope for the NSWRL commentary team though…going to be a blue-tinted call.
Hey MasiveSpray said,
“”"”I’m not holding out much hope for the NSWRL commentary team though…going to be a blue-tinted call.”"”"
Just tune in to Radio Maroon . 98.9 fm.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/bc-general-manager-david-mcdonald-upset-that-the-courier-mail-and-989fm-are-broadcasting-origin-on-radio-maroon/story-e6frepbx-1226089081854
Dead right Massive,
The Blues couldn’t play any better than Game 2 and QLD have heaps of improvement in them. Maroons by 12 or more.
Oh, and Warren Ryan should be the NRL Commissioner.
Blue or not , He is respected by all.
A bio..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Ryan
(And Brian, I realize you are pessimistic about QLDs chances tonight but you could have had the word “MAROON” at least once in the intro. )
One side will lose and both will get drunk. I’ll skip the details, thanks very much
jumpy @ 6, you’re right, I didn’t mention “maroon”. My bad.
The NSW dominance of the commentary and the emergence of an alternative radio commentary was another side story.
I try to hear what both Warren Ryan and Gus Gould say, so I kinda listen to both and switch attention from one to the other. Probably confuse myself in the process.
I throw myself to the mercy of the LP hivemind. Can anyone recommend a good pub to watch the SoO in, in MelbourneCBD. Thanks muchly
Hahaha…
“”"I try to hear what both Warren Ryan and Gus Gould say, so I kinda listen to both and switch attention from one to the other. Probably confuse myself in the process.”"”"
Your a tricky bugger Brian.
Anyway i’ll be listening to the Win9 commentary , what ever happens, I know i can have no influence on the result.
But i’ve done the research and its MAROONS 10.
QLD in again, and I think NSS are done like a dinner
NSS == NSW obviously
Tyro, Ennis off, Gidley on, they’ll probably do better now. Also Qld’s big boppers have gone off.
NSW, a freakish try and then another one! They are going to play adventurous football in the second half.
Billy Slater has overrun the wingers in defence twice now.
Funny how the straight forward QLD tries have to go to the video reff but a NSW try, that bounces around all over the place, touched by many, but there is no doubt, just blow the whistle!! .Struth!!!
Happy with Petero and Scott.
And i love it when Bee-sting Gould praises NSW defence, it means a QLD try inside 60 seconds.
30-10 to Qld with 13 mins to go. Breathing easier now!
NSW are just rubbish.
I hope NSW pick Gidley, Minni and Gaz every year.
And the Anthem was surprisingly good.
How many series wins in a row you ask?
The answer is on Lockys back.
34-24, that’s Qld by 10. jumpy yr a genius!
Tyro, David Morrow reckons you are a cert next year.
The first 30 mins were incredible. Gus said it was like a tennis match where one bloke forgot his racket. But NSW never gave up. Last match Qld made 7 mistakes in the second half, so I know how it feels.
Vinaka na Waqe NSW……..AL CA BEST 4 NEXT YEAR………
Some of the stats are worth mentioning. Civoniceva and Scott both made over 100m in their first stints. Cinoniceva ended up with 205m for the match.
Gallen made 165m, narrowly ahead of Jarryd Hayne with 162. Gallen also made 50 tackles.
In the end Qld only ended up with 54% of possession, so NSW must have had more than half of the possession in the second half. This is a bit hard to figure in relation to the completion statistics.
You would probably favour Luke Lewis given the effectiveness of Kurt Gidley out of dummy half in game two. The other possible candidates Lewis and Greg Bird arent noted kickers while Jarryd Hayne is set to play either wing or centre depending on Jenningss fortunes.