The Blues prove yet again, they just don’t get Origin

By Chase Christensen 

It was a miraculous Origin night. It didn’t matter whether you were enjoying the game live in Sydney, the comfort of your own home or watching on the big screen at the Bribie RSL. If you bleed Maroon like the majority of readers, you would have been stoked with the outcome of Origin Game 3. It has become apparent once again that the Maroons understand Origin much more than the Blues, who just don’t seem to have a grasp on it like Queensland does. 

The Sydney decider was one of the most built-up rugby league games in the last decade. The Blues had a chance to repeat history by winning back-to-back series, while Queensland were looking to steal the series after being 1–0 following the opening match on their home turf. 

The major story leading up to the enthralling battle was the sad passing of Queensland skipper Cameron Munster’s father. After exiting camp on the Sunday of Origin week due to the shock news, just a couple of days later Munster moved straight back into preparation for the match—one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen a player do. To find the motivation to play after losing one of the closest people to his heart is remarkable. 

Led by Munster, the Maroons dominated the entire match—especially the first half, which they won 20 points to zero. The most outstanding statistic was their near-perfect set completions, which at one stage stood at 26/26. They ended the match with just two errors, which is minuscule compared to the Blues’ error count of 11. It was a game of ‘if you hold onto the ball, you win’. That’s how simple Queensland made the match.  

Off the bat, the Blues were under the pump. Queensland weren’t giving them any favours, as the Maroons were playing run-run-and-kick footy, which outlasted the Blues and eventually opened the floodgates. Former Blues player Braith Anasta described how he was already getting negative text messages about how his state was performing straight after kick-off. Laurie Daley’s men just didn’t know how to adjust to the style and tempo of the game at all. 

It was easy to tell why the Blues were so dominant in Game 1, but were the opposite in the first half of Game 2 and all of Game 3. In the first game, they were able to go around their opposition with their blistering outside backs and the unbelievable centres pairing of Stephen Crichton and Latrell Mitchell. Following the series opener, Queensland shut this game plan down as they gave the Blues’ attack less breathing room, which turned it into more of a ‘run up the guts of the defence’ type of game—one the Queensland forwards thrived in, with superstar players like Tom Dearden running off the back of it. 

Queensland’s performance was a masterclass in what Origin is all about—passion, toughness and playing for each other. Once again, NSW looked lost under pressure, while the Maroons showed they simply get Origin in a way the Blues never have.