By MICHAEL BYRNES
IN probably the most remarkable Origin series since Paul Vautin’s nobodies won 3-0 in 1995, Queensland overcame the widely-held assumption that their core were too old for 2017, closing out Jonathan Thurston’s Origin career with a series victory and confirming an amazing 11 series victories in 12 years.
In the aftermath of the game, few inside the Blues’ inner sanctum wanted to comment on how it had all gone wrong. Andrew Johns said NSW “still doesn’t get it”, and Phil Gould said they never recovered from their game two capitulation.
In the lead-up, Peter Sterling said it. Phil Gould said it. The entire NSW media said it, or words to the same effect — we dominated 140 minutes out of 160 minutes of the first two games. There’s no reason why we won’t do it again. What a strange mentality. Yet that mentality has pervaded the entire Blues’ mindset ever since they (apparently inexplicably) lost in Sydney. The great Queensland side with multiple future Immortals had nothing to do with it? James Maloney said in the lead-up to the decider that NSW alone could lose it, that Queensland couldn’t take it off them. Having lost 10 of 11 series, where does that mindset spring from? It’s unfathomable!
Boyd Cordner bravely played the entire 80 minutes — probably on one calf. Whether that was the right decision or not, we’ll never know. He did no worse than the other Blues’ forwards. But he rose a mile above the recent NSW culture in his post-game speech, acknowledging the Maroons’ remarkable performance and superiority. Perhaps in that moment, finally, an era of NSW humility, pride and the possibility of their own era of superiority was born. You cannot do what the Maroons have done, for such a long period of time, if you assume your superiority and expect to win based on paper. Every 80 minutes is played on its own terms. What happened in 160 previous minutes of rugby league is ultimately irrelevant. Even Peter Sterling got this completely wrong. Or did he suspect the writing was on the wall? I assume we’ll never know that answer as well. However, one fact is known without question — Boyd Cordner stands unmistakably enhanced by his performance on and off the field in this Origin series.
To anyone who believes NSW really did dominate 140 of 160 minutes of games one and two, a re-schooling is in order. NSW led 6-4 two minutes before half-time in the series opener. Is that total dominance? NSW led 16-6 at half-time in Sydney. Is that total dominance? Prior to half-time in game two, the Blues were hamming it up on the sidelines like they led 30-0. Queensland dominated large sections of the second half in the opening game, repelled only by some miraculous James Tedesco try-savers. They carried that on in the second half in Sydney, erasing a 10-point deficit and looking likely to do so for most of the final 20 minutes. Does that story really sound like 140 minutes of Blues dominance? How did the Blues allow that to become their drumbeat for the series?
Wade Graham was my predicted man of the match in the decider, even knowing he was coming off the bench, such is his size, physicality, and remarkable range of skills. Having expressed significant remorse at the stripping penalty he gave away at a key moment in Sydney, to repeat the dose with the result on a knife-edge in Brisbane must be ringing alarm bells inside the Blues’ circle. What was he thinking?
We conclude Origin 2017 as Jonathan Thurston rides off into the sunset, a winner. Will Cronk, Slater and Smith follow him? If they decide to do so, they could not leave on any better note. That will surely factor into their respective decisions.
