Queensland squares up Origin series
Thu 12 June 2008
Jacob Grams, Bachelor of Journalism
Round two of the State of Origin took place at Suncorp Stadium on June 11, 2008 in front of over 52,000 excited fans.
After New South Wales Blues forward Willie Mason labelled Queenslanders ‘nutbag rednecks’ in the lead up to the game, the mostly Maroon-blooded crowd was eager to witness revenge in the form of a thorough beating.
And that is what they got, thanks to a magnificent performance from every Queensland player, especially centre Greg Inglis who was named man-of-the-match.
The first five minutes saw some bruising defence, until Greg Inglis managed to exploit the Blues’ right-side defence, eventually sending debutant winger Darius Boyd over for the first of two tries.
Inglis had a hand in the second try in the 21st minute, breaking into space then delivering a final pass to Boyd.
Queensland’s solid defence forced another NSW error soon after through a powerful shoulder charge from Maroons’ fullback Karmichael Hunt.
It was arguably the biggest hit of the series, sending the crowd into raptures and bringing pats on the back from Hunt’s team mates.
Two penalty goals from Jonathan Thurston rounded out the first half, ending with a 16-0 scoreline.
NSW had a difficult first half, with the Queensland defence keeping the Blues in their own territory for the majority of the 40 minutes.
Queensland’s dominance continued in the second half, and the team looked like scoring every time they got close to the try line.
The lead increased to 18-0 early in the second half thanks to another penalty goal from Thurston, giving the Maroons’ a three-converted-try lead.
Bulldozing prop Ben Hannant sealed the victory in the 63rd minute, barging over from close range between tired Blues’ defenders.
Then in the 69th minute winger Israel Folau showed why he is one of the best young players in the game, chasing down a chip-kick and placing the ball down for a try with ease.
NSW had a few chances to put some points on the board late in the game, but produced too many mistakes to challenge the Maroons’ defence.
The final score was 30-0, showing what a dominant performance it was from Queensland.
Other than Greg Inglis, the standout Maroons’ performers included Brent Tate, Michael Crocker and Dallas Johnson, especially in defence.
For NSW fullback Brett Stewart was by far the best on ground, producing at least three try-saving tackles to ensure the score was not more embarrassing.
But the series is not over, with the decider taking place on July 2 at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, where Queensland has only won once in 17 matches.
But that doesn’t mean Maroons’ fans won’t be gloating about the tremendous victory until then.
And in the words of a banner-wielding Queensland supporter: “Not bad for rednecks eh Willie?”
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