New South Wales Blues coach Laurie Daley has barely managed to hide his frustration at the lopsided penalty count during the first half of Game 2 of the 2025 State of Origin series.
Heading to Perth with a chance to put the series away, the Blues scored the first try of the game through Brian To'o, but barely saw any territory again for the remainder of the opening 40 minutes as they were refereed out of the contest.
Queensland's first try to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow came on the back of a weight of possession, with a number of six agains, before the penalty count was 8-0 heading into halftime.
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By that stage, the Maroons had streaked away to what proved to be an unassailable 26 points to 6 lead.
Daley couldn't be drawn for comment on the penalty count, but there was a long, long pause between the question being asked the and the coach, now in his second stint in charge of the Blues, answering.
"I can't tell you what I honestly think, so I'm not going to say anything," Daley said during his post-match press conference.
The Blues were their own worst enemy, with a number of the penalties seemingly being warranted, while errors and a low completion rate also hurt the state heading into the halftime break.
Captain Isaah Yeo said he would have liked to have seen a more even penalty count, but acknowledged how poor his side were.
"It certainly felt like we were shooting ourselves in the foot with just penalties. Other ones were just 50-50. Some nights you get them, some nights you don't," the Penrith lock forward said.
"What you can't do is drop the ball early in the tackle count when you've got the ball. Obviously, we'd like it to be a bit more even, but we were our own worst enemy at times as well."
The Blues, who were so strong in Game 1, were unable to get into the game in the opening 40 minutes, but also had a second try on the stroke of halftime, only for it to be taken away by Chris Butler in the bunker.
It was ruled that Stefano Utoikamanu had obstructed a Queensland defender before halfback Nathan Cleary went over the line, but Daley said the bunker had got that decision correct.
"Stef was there so he has to get out of the road. I think players are smart though to run into it, but I think it was the correct decision," Daley said Cleary's overturned try.
The Blues, who failed to comeback and win the game despite scoring five tries to Queensland's four will now have to head back home for a decider in three weeks.
