The Serve

Origin I: Don’t blame the kid

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Origin I 2007 will be remembered for yet another classic Queensland comeback. It seems it will also be remembered for Jarryd Hayne’s horrible blunder which saw him inexplicably gift Darren Lockyer the try that gave the Maroons a lead they never lost.

How the Blues opened up an 18-6 lead is still a mystery. The scoring opened after three minutes, unusually early for Origin, when Johnathan Thurston’s precision found a wide open Greg Inglis via a lovely chip kick. The warning signs were there. Queensland continued to look dangerous, particularily when they shifted the ball left. But they couldn’t convert.

New South Wales somehow dominated the scoring for the rest of the half, despite the run of play being even at best. The try to Nathan Hindmarsh needed to be checked. The video referee not required. Why? We’ve got time. We’ve got more cameras than a normal club game. Even Phil Gould was defending the Maroons.

A nice pass from Jarrod Mullen helped put Matt Cooper over, then with that marvelous bit of opportunism from Hayne on the half time siren, the Blues had a 12 point lead. This was helped by Steven Bell’s knock on with the try line open, a questionable disallowed try because of a ‘forward’ pass to Steve Price, and wave after wave of Maroon attack that went unrewarded.

The second half wasn’t all that different to the first. Except Queensland made good on their chances. Price, extremely unlucky not to be man of the match, stepped up and embarrassed this so-called fearsome bunch of Blues forwards. His try terrific compensation for getting involved with everything he could, while his charge down was something only he could have provided. In the blink of an eye the game was locked up. New South Wales had no answer.

Then the Hayne blunder.

Clearly he thought he was pursuing a 40/20. His pick up and throw before glancing the touch line was actually good athleticism. Lockyer couldn’t believe his luck. Then again Lockyer was there. Perhaps he had an inkling. Hayne’s howler is not quite in the Justin Hodges league. Remember: In 2002, Hodge’s did it twice.

Even if Hayne let the ball dribble into touch, did the Blues really look like scoring again? Anything can happen at 18-all of course, but the Maroons were ferocious. They smelled blood. They were full of points and it was only the control of Thurston and Lockyer that slowed the game down to ensure a Queensland victory.

Margins don’t matter in Origin.

Mullen has already admitted he played poorly. His honesty a good sign. He’ll be forgiven because he’s young. That forgiveness only has so much currency though.

Braith Anasta laid on the first try, but his kicking game, along with Mullen’s, was abysmal. With their punts almost exclusively going down the throats of the Maroon back three, it’s no wonder Queensland were camped inside Blues territory so often.

What about the forwards? Willie Mason tried but was clearly hurt. Kite, Bailey and White were outplayed by the old men, while Nathan Hindmarsh spent an inordinate amount of time on the bench. Didn’t he complain about that last year? Perhaps the coach doesn’t rate his endurance.

Where was Jamie Lyon? It seemed the only time we saw him was when he was kicking for goal. Kurt Gidley looked dangerous but he had little game time. A popped shoulder may well have cost him the number six jumper.

It’s a well known fact the Queensland has never won at Telstra Stadium. Eight years. A remarkable record.

Based on game one, they will never have a better opportunity to end that run.