If you’re a Queenslander (which I am) who watched tonight’s game (which I did), you might be just a little bit rattled (I am; I am absolutely rattled).
It was always going to be a bit hairy – seeing Johnathan Thurston sit out his first game after 36 bloody Origin games in a row feels like missing a limb and Billy Slater being dropped in favour of Darius Boyd seems like a further erosion of the titanically impressive back line that won Queensland so many series – but I don’t think anyone anticipated just how much the Blues would steamroll the Maroons tonight.
The game started quick, with a try in the sixth minute to the Blues via Maloney (deftly converted), with no tries until Oates took a beautiful kick from Cronk and scored a try for Queensland in the 37th minute, with Smith missing the kick.
Corey Oates!#Origin#NRL pic.twitter.com/PcVn63d9My
— NRL (@NRL) May 31, 2017
Pearce managed to get in another try for the Blues just before the end of the first half, with another successful conversion from Maloney.
The second half started at 4-12 to NSW, and it did not get any better for Queensland from there. Outside of a few insanely frustrating near-tries for the Maroons (looking at you Guerra), the Blues piled it on in the second half of the match, with tries going to Tedesco, Fifita and Hayne.
Big game player!@JarrydHayne#Origin#NRL pic.twitter.com/HoqlnAeOg7
— NRL (@NRL) May 31, 2017
At a devastating 4-28, the Blues have taken out Game 1. Fingers crossed Thurston’s back soon, hey?
Photo: Getty Images / James O’Brien.
