State of Origin 2023 Game 1: Queensland beat NSW 26-18 – as it ...
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Maroons prevail in classic Origin with their backs to the wall
Jonathan Howcroft
Origin, eh? For the best part of an hour we were all contributing to a mountain of hype for a molehill of reward. It was moderate rugby league fare in Adelaide, a match full of errors, indiscipline and injuries. And then out of nowhere the greatest sporting contest in the country delivered, as it always seems to.
The final quarter played host to tries and lead changes to both teams, a yellow card, and a prop out-marking a fullback under a high ball. It was classic Origin. And being classic Origin, the Maroons somehow prevailed with their backs to the wall. Queensland is not a state, it’s a state of mind.
There were heroes everywhere you looked in Maroon, from player of the match Cotter, to the unflappable youngsters Walsh, Cobbo, and Tabuai-Fidow. Billy Slater is a man with a plan.
Recriminations could get ugly for the Blues. They stole defeat from the jaws of victory last series, and now they’re one-down with a trip to Brisbane to come. For all the star names in blue jerseys there was a lack of cohesion, penetration, and imagination. Latrell Mitchell’s likely return will help with much of that, but the circumstances could also prompt Brad Fittler to be more decisive. Pressure from the media in the next few days could demand it of him.
But that is for another day. Tonight it is all about the marvellous Maroons and their refusal to accept defeat.
Thanks for joining me tonight. I’ll see you back here in a couple of weeks for game two.
Gould is doing sterling work on the bench in the Andrew Johns heel role, alongside Smith and Vautin. He’s studiously avoiding chewing his tongue off and murmuring bullshit.
Phil Gould has just nailed it on the telly, speaking for about a minute, uninterrupted, breaking down the result.
Queensland just played the perfect brand of Origin football. Hard-working forwards. Confident and creative halves. And speed. I’ve been saying for two years that the young fullback is a superstar in the making and he certainly covered himself with glory tonight. It was that simple. Queensland defended better when they had to. They attacked better when they had to … In the end, New South Wales got three tries, two of them pretty scrappy efforts. They looked clunky, they didn’t look confident with the ball at all. Queensland just wore them down with Origin football and mentality. It was a wonderful Queensland performance.
Here’s an early match report to chew on.
Reece Walsh has just given a flawless interview to Darren Lockyer after his superb Origin debut, all while holding his two-year-old daughter in his arms. What a star.
Never doubt Keith:
Cotter is understandably thrilled. “I still can’t believe it. I can’t explain it. It was so good to get the win and how we stuck in there and fought hard in the second half especially. A man down, and just stuck in the fight. We spoke about staying in the fight and keep turning up for each other. It’s something we’ve been speaking about all week at training and we did it in the end.”
Asked about the highlight, Cotter was decisive: “It would have to be big Lindsay Collins getting up over Tedesco stop sealing the game, how good!”
Reuben Cotter – Player of the MatchFor his all-action performance, including a game-high 48 tackles, Queensland forward Reuben Cotter is named player of the match.
“We just let it slip,” admits a dejected James Tedesco.
If you look at the stats it’s hard to believe NSW didn’t win. They dominated possession and territory. They played against 12 near the end, and at a time when their opponents were already scrambling with injuries and HIAs. Their inability to turn ascendancy into opportunities will generate plenty of debate this week. Nathan Cleary’s game management will be put in the crosshairs, as will Brad Fittler’s coaching.
“That’s Origin footy,” deadpans Cameron Munster. “You’re playing against the best and you have to be at your best.
“Slater is very smart. We had a lot of training he put people in different positions. You never know with head knocks and everyone going down in different injuries, everyone was ready to go different positions and we scrambled well. We had 12 players on the field with 10 minutes with 11 minutes to go and we somehow found a way that will definitely go down as one of the best memories of my life.”
Maroon too good. Far better attacking game. Had less ball, (and even less players for ten minutes), yet created more tries. Guile and speed. Deserved winners. NSW had more than enough possession, but looked clunky and slow all night. Maroon leads series 1-0 with Game 2 in…
— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) May 31, 2023Queensland had no right to win that. Outplayed for most of the night, starved of the ball, denied options on the bench, and then down to 12 men for the final ten minutes, they repeatedly came up with the big plays when it mattered.
State of Origin is utterly compelling. Always.
The Maroons write another chapter in Origin history with a staggering victory in Adelaide.
80 mins: They can’t. Crichton passes the ball out of play on the left wing and Queensland begin to celebrate.
79 mins: Queensland’s forwards put in another shift of a set before DCE accepts contact near the line on the last. NSW have 100 metres and 90 seconds to salvage something.
78 mins: Another failed short kick-off, this time for offside, and Queensland are nearly home. Quite how, I don’t know. This result will be a hammer blow for NSW.
TRY! Queensland 26-18 NSW (Munster, 77)Ludicrous, absolutely ludicrous. Queensland’s forwards go to work and drill their way down the field. Cherry-Evans kicks on the last, hoisting the ball high – and PROP Lindsay Collins wins the aerial duel with James Tedesco – lands, offloads to the supporting Cameron Munster and the Maroons cannot believe what’s happening.
Holmes misses the extras, but nobody really cares any more. This is absurd.
75 mins: The short kick-off is knocked forward. Queensland ball. Five minutes to go. Three of those with 12 men.
TRY! Queensland 22-18 NSW (Tabuai-Fidow, 74)I cannot believe it. I cannot believe it. Queensland, with 12 men, and square pegs in round holes all over the place are back in front. For four tackles nothing much looks on, then Cameron Munster drifts from the middle to the left like a surfer on a wave, waiting for his moment to fire the pass wide to Tabuai-Fidow. He executes perfectly to isolate his man one-one-one. The step wrongfoots Addo-Carr, then the afterburners are turned on and the 21-year-old glides at breathtaking speed across the turf and under the posts.
Holmes adds the conversion with ease.
72 mins: Hang-on… Queensland recover the short drop-out and scamper to halfway in no time. The ball spins right to Walsh who is flown into by Crichton at serious speed. Blimey, that was a collision. But there’s a whistle Queensland’s way. The Maroons get a full set in attacking territory. What can they do with it? All the ball players are busy probing but there’s no space to exploit until they shift the ball left where Taulagi has a sniff of a break until the Blues get bodies across.
Trbojevic is done for the night with his concussion, and now Taulagi is ordered off for a test. Queensland’s bench is empty. Ben Hunt is playing centre.
70 mins: NSW are rampant now. They turn on the afterburners for a set then hunt Walsh with intensity to force a kick-chase drop out. This is not looking good for the 12-man Maroons.
Yellow Card! (Flegler, 69)69 mins: Trbojevic takes the kick return and runs straight into Flegler’s shoulder! Ouch. The Queenslander is placed on report and sent to the bin! That is devastating for the Maroons.
The Manly flyer departs for an HIA. And Nicho Hynes makes his Origin debut.
TRY! Queensland 16-18 NSW (Crichton 68)Back come the Blues off the back of a scrum fed by To’o! Koroisau, Haas, again the battering approach comes up short. This time they go right but Addo-Carr can’t find room. Again they have to rely on Cleary’s boot – and this time it works! The bomb close to the line draws a pack, spills out NSW’s way and in no time it’s in Crichton’s hands from Luai to dive over in the left corner.
Cleary kicks his side in the lead with a clutch conversion.
65 mins: 30m out becomes a set restart 20m out. The Blues are building. Haas looks strong, so does Martin, and after pounding the middle NSW cut left, where there’s an overlap – can they find it? No! And Cobbo is inches away from an intercept try but he knocks on!
64 mins: Queensland will be happy with a series of sets exchanged in midfield either side of halfway… until DCE takes his eye off a routine pass and knocks on. This is such an uncharacteristic night of Origin footy. Can NSW capitalise?
62 mins: Another NSW set ends with Cobbo calmly dealing with a Cleary bomb. The Blues need a plan B. So many sets have ended tamely tonight despite NSW’s ascendancy. Perhaps an occasion for Nicho Hynes?
60 mins: Solid restart set from Queensland, pinning NSW deep in their own half. Massive 20 minutes coming up.
TRY! Queensland 16-12 NSW (Cobbo, 58)One half-chance is all Queensland require! Rope-a-dope stuff from the Maroons. Cotter starts it all with his steal in midfield, then the experienced halves get to work, absorbing tackles then spreading the ball to the right to Walsh who accepts contact and simultaneously throws a majestic cutout pass to Cobbo, who still has two men to beat. He turns on the afterburners, steps on the outside, skips past Luai and To’o and slides over in the corner, kicking up his heels to avoid the sideline. Unbelievable try. So, so, so against the run of play. How do they do it?
Of course Holmes slots over a massive touchline conversion.
Over to you Blues.
57 mins: Finally a spark! Cotter snaffles a loose carry 30 metres from the NSW line …
