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ABC News
4 days ago
- Sport
- ABC News
Queensland Maroons' State of Origin decider win a perfect game of Origin football
It was the sort of game that makes you believe all the State of Origin hyperbole might actually be true. What other reason could there possibly be for what we saw on Wednesday night? Massive underdogs? Check. Enemy territory? Yep. Coming off a series-opening loss? Uh-huh. An inspirational veteran back for one last ride? Of course. Since 2018, the Blues have had the better side on paper. After 2024, they were supposed to be done relying on that. But then the 2025 decider happened. Queensland stormed NSW's home and it wasn't close. Not only did the Maroons win the decider, they were near enough to flawless in the 24-12 victory. Seventeen-game NSW veteran Luke Lewis said on ABC Sport the Maroons "played a proper Origin game". Legendary Blues coach Phil Gould went further on Channel Nine, describing it as "perfect Origin football". After the first two games saw both teams below par and fumbling their way through 160 minutes of football in one way or another, Queensland completed every set until the 69th minute in game three. By that point, the team was already leading 20-6 and the game was effectively done. Unlike Perth, this wasn't a situation where the Maroons had stumbled into a big lead and were desperately trying to hang on. They were so much better from the jump that the 80,000 fans were stunned into an eerie silence, the likes of which you never hear in an Origin game, especially not a decider where nerves are fried as the tether between fandom and fanaticism is frayed into dust. Led by captain Cameron Munster in the most inspirational of his myriad immense Origin performances, the Maroons finally turned up in game three. Coach Billy Slater picked his most well-rounded team of the series and every single member of them played out of their skin. The poster boy for Slater's triumph was, of course, Tom Dearden. Axing captain Daly Cherry-Evans after the series opener was one of the biggest calls we've seen in recent memory but it was utterly vindicated as Dearden won player of the match and series in an almighty game. Every rein Slater and the Maroons pulled continually turned the game in their favour, and it started early when bolter debutant Gehamat Shibasaki brushed Zac Lomax to set up the first try of the night. We'd seen Queensland strike first and almost get run down three weeks earlier, but this time the Maroons made their own luck. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow played fullback the way Queenslanders saw it in their dreams. Valentine Holmes flattened Angus Crichton in the opening exchanges and backed it up with ball in hand. Rookie Rob Toia came up with try-savers and skinned Latrell Mitchell time and time again. Harry Grant, Reuben Cotter, Kurt Capewell, Trent Loiero … up and down the team list, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who's played a better Origin game. Xavier Coates's shift back to the left wing was supposed to give us an aerial contest with Zac Lomax that would put to shame any dogfights since the days of the Red Baron. Instead, Lomax mostly went roaming on the other side of the field and never managed a clean run at a high ball. The likelihood of it all coming together the way it did was infinitesimally small. But when the team enveloped Munster in a collective bear hug as the full-time siren sounded, it became clear how it had happened. Between their skipper's grief and the return of Josh Papali'i, this side had more reason to step up than perhaps any other before them. Munster called Papali'i up on stage to help him lift the shield. Cameron Smith did the same thing with Petero Civoniceva, Justin Hodges and Johnathan Thurston. This is a team constantly aware of its place in the grand scheme of things and the narrative around it. Slater never trots out the line that "we don't read that stuff", and Munster himself said he was looking forward to seeing some members of the media eat crow on Thursday morning. Munster, the hero for "the worst-ever Queensland team" in 2020, equated this year's side with the 1995 "Neville Nobodies" side that somehow swept NSW 3-0 without the stars lost to the Super League. From Mal, to Lockyer, to Thurston, to Smith, to Cherry-Evans, to Munster — that connection to history spurred on the eight-straight dynasty and it inspired this year's team. From the greats to the "nobodies", everybody needs a little push sometimes.
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
New footage of NSW trainer's unsportsmanlike act emerges as Blues complete 27-year first
New footage of what the NSW trainer did to deserve an iconic tongue-lashing by referee Ashley Klein during Origin Game I on Wednesday night has emerged. During the second half of the game at Suncorp Stadium, NSW trainer Eddie Farah - brother of Wests Tigers legend Robbie – took matters into his own hands as the Blues found themselves on the ropes, with Queensland smelling blood in the water. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. As momentum shifted after a controversial Brian To'o sin bin right on halftime, the Blues were grimly holding on early in the second half, desperate to waste time wherever plausible. After a knock-on from Zac Lomax, the Maroons had a scrum 10 metres out from the Blues line. And Farah moved to do his part in slowing down the game to let the NSW troops have a bit of a break. As Blues players grabbed water from Farah and sucked in deep breaths, the trainer passed the ball to Moses, who threw it into the in-goal area. Farah then went a step further, toe-poking the ball over the dead-ball line, much to the anger of Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans, who pointed out the poor act of sportsmanship to the referee. Klein saw the end of what transpired, blowing his whistle and calling the trainer over to deliver a firm warning. 'Trainer, if you do that again you will not come back on the field,' he said. You can watch the NSW trainer's cheeky act in the player above. The pro-Queensland crowd erupted into a chorus of boos as the trainer ran off with a smirk. 'A little bit of gamesmanship happening there,' Cameron Smith noted on Nine. The trainer's act was missed by the main Channel 9 cameras but Spider-Cam managed to capture his cheeky act. And in the end, that little break in play may have been pivotal, as the Blues managed to drive Valentines Holmes out of play on the first tackle, stopping the Maroons' momentum in its tracks. NSW Blues win Game 1 in 27-year first In the end, NSW proved too strong for Queensland, winning the series opener 18-6 on the back of an impressive all-round team performance. The score somewhat flattered the Maroons given the Blues missed all four conversion attempts. Prop Payne Haas was named player of the match in recognition of the dominance of NSW's forward pack. It's the first time since 1997-98 that NSW has won consecutive games at Suncorp Stadium, proving Queensland's fortress holds no fear for this current Blues squad. It's the first time since 2005-06 NSW has won three Origin games in a row. Andrew Johns said on Nine: 'This hasn't been a 12-point win. They have been far, far superior. The scoreboard flatters Queensland.' Cam Smith said: 'They've been in complete control really from the moment the ball was kicked off early. They've controlled field position, they controlled possession. 'Queensland had a bit of a run of it early in this second half, but they haven't really threatened at all.'
News.com.au
27-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Crichton racing the clock to heal quad
State of Origin: Stephen Crichton is racing the clock to be fit for Origin Game 1 after picking up a quad issue.
