State of Origin 2023 Game 2: Queensland Maroons 32-6 NSW Blues – as it happened

14h ago22.34 AEST

Summary

Jonathan Howcroft

Thank you for joining me tonight for another demonstration of Queensland’s extraordinary ability to rise to the occasion in State of Origin. Three weeks ago they were underdogs heading to Adelaide to take on a star-studded NSW outfit. Tonight they arrived in Brisbane as favourites and played like champions.

Defensively they were extraordinary. Their line defence was near flawless. One-on-one they were rarely beaten, and if they were a covering tackle was close at hand. In broken play they were first to every loose ball.

And then in attack they were clinical. Chances were few and far between in South Australia, and again tonight the Maroons didn’t hog the ball or dominate field position. But when they saw an opportunity they went for the jugular and in Munster and Cherry-Evans they had a halfback pairing that controlled the ball masterfully in dangerous situations, and outside them Walsh was the series game-breaker, entering the line, creating space and timing killer passes.

After a second series defeat in succession it is hard to see Brad Fittler either wanting to stay on as NSW coach, or being invited to do so. On paper, the Blues should be the stronger of the two units, but over 160 minutes there was a desperate lack of wit and cutting edge in attack, while squad selections lacked the bravery and purpose of Billy Slater.

Fittler can point to the injuries to Mitchell, Cleary, and Trbojevic as mitigating factors, but they cannot mask the inability to match Queensland for intensity. In three weeks from now they will at least have a shot at redemption on Sydney soil, a night that, perhaps, will kickstart their Origin 2024 campaign.

I will be back here for that, and you’re welcome to join me. Until then, I will leave you with Angus Fontaine’s match report and Queensland’s celebrations. Goodnight!

The Queensland players are lapping it all up, some carrying their children, others in the stands with family members. These are the moments they will remember for ever.

The big prop gets the nod on the night for a performance that set the tone for the Maroons, in defence and attack. Too quick, too strong, and too hungry for the Blues to handle.

This is what dreams are made of. This is what you do in the backyard growing up as a little kid, imagining this moment, and for it to be a reality, it’s very, very special.

I think there’ll be a few sickies tomorrow.

Reece Walsh, who has cemented his status as the most exciting young fullback in the game, is bubbling with delight.

Obviously, the crowd at home, up here winning at Suncorp, this is our back yard. This is our home. We come to represent our people. It was an awesome game. We wouldn’t be here without the fans. A special group, awesome coach and, you know, we really got the job done there tonight.

It’s crazy. It’s a brotherhood. You know, since day one we went into camp, and we all just gelled. The coaching staff are out of this world. Just amazed in this group, with these boys, we’ve got a saying Ubuntu, it’s all stick together and do it for each other, not for yourself. Queensland should be proud tonight.

Daly Cherry-Evans, who was outstanding tonight, is first at the mic to share the moment with former Queensland captain Darren Lockyer.

It’s our ability to defend our try line this series that got us the results both games. We should be really proud of the way we’ve defended. I think the scoreboard reflected tonight the sort of footy we can play.

The final couple of minutes were unsavoury but that does not prevent Queensland celebrating a classic night of Origin footy at Suncorp Stadium.

Queensland are State of Origin champions for 2023!

80 mins: In that same melee, Walsh and Luai aimed head-butts at each other, each receiving their marching orders for their troubles. So unnecessary.

80 mins: Tempers have frayed in the final seconds. Addo-Carr has thrown a punch at Walsh, who was head-to-head with Luai in an exchange of words, and he is rightly sent to the bin. Stupid act.

77 mins: Fa’asuamaleaui interrupts Yeo’s run, reverses the momentum, picks up the big Panther, dumps him on his backside, and dislodges the ball in the process. It’s been that kind of night. That kind of series.

76 mins: This has been some series from the Maroons. They have absorbed so much NSW pressure across the two matches, but they have done so with such defensive skill, discipline, and grit. And they’ve scored with practically every serious attack they’ve mounted.

Queensland are giving their supporters their money’s worth. Instead of walking down the last ten minutes they’re flinging the ball from right to left, conceding metres in the process to keep the ball alive. Of course, it doesn’t matter, because on the last Munster hoists up a Garryowen that Cook is once again exactly the man NSW don’t want to be under the ball. He initially marks but loses the ball mid-air in contact with teammate Addo-Carr. Nanai is first to the loose ball to send the score into the 30s.

Holmes kicks another two to rub salt in the NSW wounds.

74 mins: Moses, who began the night promisingly, has seen his performance deteriorate, and it reaches a new low with an awful play-the-ball that only looks more embarrassing during a NSW captain’s challenge.

73 mins: The crowd is 52,433 by the way. Most of them deliriously happy with what they’ve seen.

72 mins: An overcooked Moses kick from range allows Queensland another opportunity to settle things down, milk the clock, and take the sting out of the game. The crowd break out into cries of “Queenslander!”.

71 mins: Queensland utilise their captain’s challenge to see whether Tabuai-Fidow should have been penalised for a knock-on during the kick chase. It was a forlorn effort, but succeeded in allowing the Maroons to catch their breath and slow the game down. The value of that breather is shown immediately with Haas dumped unceremoniously deep in his own half.

68 mins: NSW earn a scrum from the restart, then earn a ruck penalty under the posts. Can the Blues mount a late fightback? No. Young drops the ball on the burst on tackle two. This series has been an attacking disaster for Brad Fittler.

The short drop-out is claimed by Tabuai-Fidow. Soon afterwards Yeo concedes a penalty at the ruck but Queensland reject the kick for goal and instead invite their forwards to pound the NSW defensive line. For a while anyway, this is Queensland after all, and eventually they’re going to want to score a try. The halves get the ball under the posts – and there’s that move again – the delayed pass to Walsh, the incredible strength and ball skills of the young fulback to release Coates on the outside, and he flys like superman to touch the ball down one-handed in the corner. Simply magnificent.

Holmes dots the i’s by crossing the t from the touchline.

63 mins: NSW have the bit between their teeth now. Tedesco finds a step, Moses accepts contact, there’s finally some urgency and invention – but still Queensland find a miracle! Collins again, showing his alertness to block the attempted grubber, then pounce on the loose ball and run it away from danger. Four tackles later, Munster dabs a perfectly weighted kick to force Cook into conceding a line drop-out.

60 mins: Now the Blues come! First they look to expand early in the set, finding space for To’o on the right, then they hammer Walsh as he collects Moses’ bomb before setting about a series of ball carriers, threatening to drag Coates into touch before he offloads smartly. It takes a barnstorming run from Collins to settle things down for the home side. But the respite doesn’t last long when that man Collins is pinged for going high on Luai early in the NSW set.

Well, well, well. After all that’s happened tonight, Damien Cook might be the man to spark a comeback. It arrives following the first penetrating run of the night from a man in blue – Young bursting on to a slick short pass from Luai. Queensland scramble to bring the forward down, but Cook is on hand for the offload to dash under the posts like he’s sniping from dummy-half – not playing 75 minutes as a left centre.

Crichton kicks the easy two points.

57 mins: NSW spend four tackles doing nothing inside 10m before a pass goes astray to create some unintentional penetration in broken play. Moses finally kicks to the right corner, Crichton does well in the air, but it’s a Queenslander on the spot at ground level. This is up there with the best defensive performances I have ever seen.

55 mins: Luai almost goes by himself, picking up the ball in broken play following a Moses bomb, jinking one way, then the other, before Walsh eventually brings him down. NSW use up their captain’s challenge shortly afterwards, claiming unsuccessfully that Holmes knocked the ball on following the bomb. However, in the process of the review, Walsh’s last ditch challenge on Luai is ruled high, so NSW retain the ball. “That’s embarrassing,” bemoans Andrew Johns. It was around the neck mind you …

53 mins: Munster’s marshalling of that Queensland try was brilliant. Repeatedly steering play to the left edge until the space opened up for Taulagi to exploit. His halfback pairing with Cherry-Evans will go down in Origin history.

I mean, it’s funny. How on earth do they absorb so much pressure and then score in one hit? A solid set from their own line turns into something miraculous on the last when Taulagi plays on, kicks infield and the bounce sets up perfectly for Tabuai-Fidow to gather and touch down. Incredible.

Holmes hits an upright for the second time tonight. Not that it matters much any more.

49 mins: Now the Blues come. From a tackle restart 30m out Yeo, Robson and Martin, all bust the line. Crichton almost gets free on the right. But everywhere they move there’s a Maroon jersey waiting to pounce. Another set restart! The ball moves from right to left, the weight of territory and possession surely has to count – but no! For the umpteenth time the ball ends up out of sync as it’s throw to the left – Cook’s centre – and Addo-Carr watches the ball bobble into touch. Superb defence from Queensland, woeful attack from NSW.

47 mins: A poor DCE kick allows To’o to set up NSW on halfway. But yet again five tackles pass quickly with no imagination or wit. The kick is tidy enough but Holmes does wonderfully in the air to defuse the bomb. The Blues defend well to deny Queensland any cheap metres coming out of defence, but they’re going to need to offer much more with ball in hand to rescue this.

45 mins: New South Wales need a miracle in enemy territory. And it’s hard to see where it’s going to come from.

Not that it matters for long. Just as they have all series Queensland only need a glimpse of the line to convert it into a score. The ball moves around at speed until there’s room on the right. The Maroons don’t panic, DCE double pumps, Walsh unloads in contact, and Holmes has the space to dive over in the corner.

The prolific points scorer picks himself up, dusts himself down, and spanks over a touchline conversion to extend his side’s commanding lead.

42 mins: Cotter and Fifita set the tone on the opening set for the Maroons. Grant then makes a burst to build the momentum. Munster launches a bomb Tabuai-Fidow plucks it out of the sky but To’o tackles the Hammer almost immediately. Queensland back into their work. And how! NSW turn in s straightforward set that ends with Walsh fielding a bomb, bouncing out of mid-air contact, wriggling through a series of tackles and into open space before Tedesco just hauls him down!

The teams are back out for the second half. Can NSW mount a comeback?

Here’s the DCE chase on Crichton that turned into a 10 or 12 point play. He saves at least four points with his tackle, one that immediately precedes his line break to set up Queensland’s second try.

NSW had more possession, more completions, more passes, more offloads… and rarely looked threatening. It’s like Origin I all over again. To make matters worse, when the Blues did penetrate the ball followed makeshift centre Damien Cook like a magnet and he was repeatedly the wrong man at the wrong time.

In case you’ve joined late, Cook has been pressganged into the backline after Trbojevic was forced off in the opening exchanges with a serious pec injury. Brad Fittler’s decision not to retain Nicho Hynes in his 17 is already beginning to look like a mistake.

James Hewer has emailed in, questioning Queensland’s second try. And I have to agree that Fifita’s pass to Tabuai-Fidow looks forward to my poorly trained eyes. Have a look below, make your own call.

The Maroons have been on the back foot for much of the half, but they are now just 40 minutes away from an Origin series victory.

39 mins: NSW should have one set in their own half before the break, but they benefit from a dangerous tackle and kick long downfield for one final assault for the half. Five tackles come and go in the shadow of the posts but there is zero penetration. On the last there’s a set restart – which just means two more ineffective tackles before the hooter. Queensland’s defence is phenomenal.

37 mins: Queensland go through hands on halfway but Walsh grasses the seventh or eighth pass in the move and NSW mop up. Again, it’s a moderate set, and it ends in ignominy with Collins wrapping Luai in a mighty pile-driving bear hug that dislodges the ball and brings Suncorp Stadium alive.

35 mins: What an extraordinary couple of minutes for Daly Cherry-Evans. His tackle save on Crichton will be on Origin highlights reels for decades, then he made the line break to create his side’s second try. Such a big game player. Going the other way, Damien Cook just cannot believe his predicament.

After all that pressure from NSW, what do Queensland do? Carrigan makes a bust, DCE powers through the gap, and a tackle later the ball is shifted from right to left for Taulagi to complete the formalities. How do they do it? How do they always do it?

Holmes makes the simple conversion.

30 mins: The Maroons get just what they want with a set restart on halfway. Defence is now very much attack with DCE and Munster darting around behind the ruck. On the last the kick is smothered and Crichton is away! Can he make it 90 metres for the try!? Queenslanders are coming from all angles to chase! It’s a thrilling foot-race – and Cherry-Evans makes the desperate tackle! Wow. But NSW are not finished. They have a full set 20 metres out. There’s so much space on the left against a tired Queensland defence – but the ball doesn’t get there fast enough and the Maroons recover. They keep coming through – and now there’s space again on the left, surely this time, no! The pass from Luai hits Cook in the face! Oh no! This is nightmare stuff for NSW.

28 mins: NSW are pushing hard now! Little happened for five tackles, but on the last a poor Moses chip bounced back into Blue hands and drew a knock-on for a repeat set in the red zone. After steering everything down the left NSW look to the right and as Moses feeds Tedesco there’s room for To’o on the outside – but Taulagi flies out of the line to pressure the NSW skipper and his pass misses its target. That was a long long intense spell of pressure and Queensland emerge unscathed.

27 mins: Finally some respite! After a long long period of unbroken play – largely dominated by NSW – there’s a ruck infringement against Queensland after a long kick-chase, and everyone has a second to catch their breath.

26 mins: The Blues continue to probe. Crichton goes close, then there’s an overlap on the left – can they find it? No! Cook is the wrong man in the left centre and he’s crunched by a gang of Queenslanders when you’d have to think a fit Mitchell would have handed a try on a plate to Addo-Carr.