The New South Wales Blues have belted the Queensland Maroons in State of Origin 2 at Suncorp Stadium, taking the total series score to 76-6. Here are 20 thoughts from the game.
1. Questions will be asked whether or not this is the most dominant Origin team of all time. I'll expand on this later in the week but the real answer won't be known until the Origin 3 result. They need a clean sweep to make a genuine case.
2. The Blues ability to keep their best players on the field for two Origins is so telling. Nathan Cleary being out in Origin 3 is a massive out. Same to the gap between Kalyn Ponga to Valentine Holmes. Holmes (wing) to Kyle Feldt. Grant to McCullough.
3. The fact a random Twitter user had to point out the Ronaldo selection issues is a real embarrassment for the game. To say it never should have reached the point where the Sharks winger was so close to his debut before this broke is a huge understatement.
Why is no one in the media reporting on the fact QLD are selecting a player that is not eligible?
Ronaldo Mulitalo came to Aust at age 14, you need to be in Aust before 13, making him ineligible for QLD.@BuzzRothfield @AndrewVossy @awebster1975 @NRL @IntRL @NZRL_Kiwis— Duke25 (@Duke2517) June 26, 2021
4. Valentine Holmes is not an Origin level fullback. He's a world-class winger and walks into any side in the world in two or five.
5. I take back everything negative I said pre-series about Tariq Sims and offer a humble sorry sir. He has been an absolute monster out wide and easily won his battles in both games.
6. David Fifita has been the worst player across two games for the Maroons. If Queensland wanted to cause the upset Fifita needed to be in the top three players.
7. If the Kangaroos were named, on form, only Christian Welch would be close to cracking the lineup. The Blues 1 to 17 have been untouchable.
8. Cam Murray has played his best footy across the entire season for the Blues. Perhaps his future is wider than the role he is currently filling for the Rabbitohs?
9. The best two centres in the game right now are fullbacks. I'd argue Matt Burton has been the form centre to this point too. There are some magical centres in the game but the consistency just isn't there.
10. People blaming Paul Green for this series loss are being lazy. The run of crazy events and talent differential in the sides wouldn't have been overcome by any coach. That said, results are everything in this arena and Green's run may be a short one.
Watch Origin Two reviewed on Rugby League Outlaws
11. I don't think it's hyperbole to suggest this Blues side is somewhere near the all-dominant Maroons' side. Teddy, Turbo, and Cleary are Slater, Cronk and Inglis. Jarome Luai has a long way to go to be comparable with Thurston of course but Cam Smith remains the difference for mine.
12. The fact that Luai and Josh Papali'i are going to represent Samoa at the World Cup is awesome. Both are genuine Origin superstars and add real talent and experience to a side that has a real Tonga feel to them this year.
13. The 26-0 scoreline on Sunday night was flattering to the Maroons. They had a few opportunities late but the Blues could have scored three or four more tries.
14. For all the talk of stand-alone weekends and rep footy breaks, this weekend without NRL action was terrible. Selfishly I'm happy the format reverts back to Wednesday games next season. Bad footy is better than no footy.
15. Heading into Game 3 there hasn't been a single conversion missed in the series. Holmes slotted his only attempt while Cleary has landed 14 straight. Insanity.
16. Felise Kaufusi is an elite level forward, has been for many years, but he was absolutely bodied across two games and looked far more interested in starting scraps than playing footy. The six again he gave away trying to prove some point to Latrell Mitchell cost them points.
17. I understand trying to unsettle the Blues but targeting Mitchell and Sims is not the way to go. The second QLD started to target Cleary, Liam Martin came on and that nonsense stopped. Horrible tactics.
18. Naming Capewell at centre was a death sentence. Everyone saw in Game 1 that any time the Blues were struggling to make metres they hit Trbojevic on the chest and he burned Capewell. In what world was naming a player who was torched in the series opener over an actual centre the right call?
19. I'd argue Ben Hunt should start at halfback in Game 3 and captain the side. Following the Game 2 loss it was Hunt who was commanding the team. It was Hunt who was speaking and laying down the law. That should have been Daly Cherry-Evans. Hunt comes in for mine. The only kick all night that troubled the Blues came from Hunt.
20. QLD's depth is putrid. The Blues B side would have beaten this current Maroons set-up, even in Brisbane.
