QUEENSLAND 6 NEW SOUTH WALES 18
TOM SMITH, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Wednesday
PRODIGAL New South Wales coach Laurie Daley toasted his return to the Origin arena with a comprehensive win over Queensland in enemy territory.
Led by rampant prop Payne Haas, the Blues dominated all bar the ten minutes when winger Brian To’o sat in the sin bin at the start of the second half.
To’o and wing partner Zac Lomax combined for three tries in the first half before Ashley Klein binned the Penrith flanker for taking out opposite number Xavier Coates in the air.
Coates’ reply set up a tense second half, but Dylan Edwards’ decisive score sewed up the result seven minutes from time.
Eight years after ending his first NSW stint with only one series victory from five attempts, Daley now sits in the box seat to retain the shield for his state.
It’s the first time the Blues have won two straight games at the new Suncorp Stadium.
Queensland skipper Daly Cherry-Evans became the oldest man to play Origin (aged 36 years, 97 days), while new team-mate Robert Toia — more than 15 years his junior — made an impressive interstate bow.
Maroons subs Beau Fermor and Trent Loiero, plus Blues forward Max King, also made their debuts.
Man-of-the-match Haas put the visitors on top from minute one.
A ball strip by Moeaki Fotuaika gave Nathan Cleary the first two points, but it took 24 minutes of pressure to finally penetrate the Maroons’ defence.
With Haas putting the Queenslanders on the back foot, Cleary combined with the composed Stephen Crichton to release Lomax into the right corner.
Then thanks to a Harry Grant knock-on and an offside six-again, the Blues struck once more.
Lightning-fast hands by Cleary, Mitchell Moses and Latrell Mitchell — who caught and passed while suspended mid-air — put To’o away down the left edge.
From the restart, the Blues hammered the Maroons with five consecutive sets before a Cleary double-pump unlocked the hosts’ defence, inviting Edwards to 0 Lomax for his second.
Cleary’s three missed conversions left the door ajar at 14-nil.
And the momentum swung savagely when the officials punished To’o’s aerial indiscretion.
Valentine Holmes’ penalty-goal sent NSW to the sheds with a twelve-point advantage and just twelve men to defend it.
Billy Slater’s men chipped away at their deficit after Jeremiah Nanai rattled the ball from Mitchell’s grasp, creating the broken play that allowed Coates to streak into the right corner for what turned out to be their only try.
The contest ebbed and flowed upon To’o’s return, although NSW looked more comfortable thanks to their eight-point cushion.
Finally, on the end of three straight sets and more Haas physicality, the Blues found the sealer.
After collecting a Cleary kick, Lomax squeezed an offload to Connor Watson, who somehow popped a miracle offload to Edwards to touch down.
Cleary forfeited the goal-kicking duties to Lomax, who also missed, and the Panthers playmaker sprayed a drop-goal attempt that would’ve stretched the lead to 13.
It mattered little, though, as the southerners held on to claim a deserved 1-0 advantage.
The Maroons will fight to keep the series alive at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Wednesday 18 June, before game three at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium on Wednesday 9 July.
GAMESTAR: Payne Haas bruised the Queensland defence all night, registering 154 running metres from 18 hulking runs.
GAMEBREAKER: Dylan Edwards’ 73rd-minute try made sure New South Wales’ dominance converted into a win.
MATCHFACTS
MAROONS
1 Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights)
2 Xavier Coates (Melbourne Storm)
3 Robert Toia (Sydney Roosters)
4 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (Dolphins)
5 Valentine Holmes (St George Illawarra Dragons)
6 Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
7 Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles)
8 Moeaki Fotuaika (Gold Coast Titans)
9 Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
10 Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Gold Coast Titans)
11 Reuben Cotter (North Queensland Cowboys)
12 Jeremiah Nanai (North Queensland Cowboys)
13 Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
Subs (all used)
14 Tom Dearden (North Queensland Cowboys)
15 Lindsay Collins (Sydney Roosters)
16 Beau Fermor (Gold Coast Titans)
17 Trent Loiero (Melbourne Storm)
Tries: Coates (46)
Goals: Holmes 1/2
BLUES
1 Dylan Edwards (Penrith Panthers)
2 Brian To’o (Penrith Panthers)
3 Stephen Crichton (Canterbury Bulldogs)
4 Latrell Mitchell (Rabbitohs)
5 Zac Lomax (Parramatta Eels)
6 Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels)
7 Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
8 Mitch Barnett (New Zealand Warriors)
9 Reece Robson (North Queensland Cowboys)
10 Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)
11 Liam Martin (Penrith Panthers)
12 Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)
13 Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)
Subs (all used)
14 Connor Watson (Sydney Roosters)
15 Spencer Leniu (Sydney Roosters)
16 Hudson Young (Canberra Raiders)
17 Max King (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Tries: Lomax (25, 36), To’o (29), Edwards (73)
Goals: Cleary 1/4, Lomax 0/1
Sin bin: To’o (40) — professional foul
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-2, 0-6, 0-10, 0-14, 2-14; 6-14, 6-18
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Maroons: Patrick Carrigan; Blues: Payne Haas
Penalty count: 6-9
Half-time: 2-14
Referee: Ashley Klein
Attendance: 52,483
