Billy Slater is adamant his Queensland facet can elevate the bar greater once more after beating New South Wales 32-6 to retain State of Origin bragging rights and seal a 2-0 sequence win in Brisbane.
The Blues misplaced centre Tom Trbojevic to harm within the third minute however nonetheless had ample alternative to construct an early lead in entrance of 52,433 followers at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Maroons’ defence held sturdy till their scientific offence hit high gear, coach Slater’s males now eyeing the primary Origin clear sweep since 2010 in Sydney’s dead-rubber.
Slater preached of the Maroons’ spirit post-game nevertheless it was a win constructed simply as a lot on sharp execution of intelligent ways with and with out the ball.
“They’re higher than that too. They’re simply getting began,” Slater stated.
“Proud is an understatement. I couldn’t consider how proud I used to be (after sport three in 2022), they usually simply hold elevating the bar.
“The stats have been in opposition to this staff for a very long time, they simply hold rising above it.”
Certainly, the Blues loved 64 per cent of territory however paid the worth for an absence of polish because the Maroons ran in six tries to at least one.
Captain Daly Cherry-Evans produced the match-turning second, chasing down a flying Stephen Crichton then making a break of his personal that led to the Maroons’ second attempt.
“There was an entire heap of need in that motion, a entire heap of Queenslander in that motion and he had an entire heap of mates there to again him up,” Slater stated.
Valentine Holmes scored twice to carry his Origin tally to 13 – adequate for third on the all-time Origin checklist – fullback Reece Walsh was an ever-present hazard and prop Lindsay Collins produced one other barnstormer to assert man of the match.
There was drama late although with Walsh and Jarome Luai despatched off for head-butting one another and Josh Addo-Carr sin-binned for a swinging arm on the Maroons fullback that each coaches had been eager to minimize.
The Blues’ script was torn up when centre Trbojevic left the sport with a pectoral harm, versatile back-rower Cameron Murray left on the bench and hooker Damien Cook dinner as an alternative deployed within the unfamiliar place.
The South Sydney rake, used on the left with Crichton shifted to the suitable, was closely concerned however typically for all of the flawed causes.
Twice play broke down on his edge regardless of the Blues having numbers, whereas Jeremiah Nanai stepped Cook dinner for an early line break.
Each of Holmes’ tries got here in his nook, the primary a grounded excessive ball he acquired his fingertips on and the second a diving effort after calmly gathering a half-volley.
Lastly the Blues discovered a reply, Cook dinner busting the Queensland defence in damaged play.
But it surely was a fleeting second of respite, as Walsh once more tormented Cook dinner’s proper edge to place Xavier Coates over for an additional attempt earlier than Nanai drove the ultimate nail into the coffin.
Payne Haas (165 run metres, 34 tackles) was immense in a overwhelmed facet whereas Mitch Moses seemed harmful early as he tried to fill the injured Nathan Cleary’s footwear as Blues halfback, however had little affect past that.
Blues coach Brad Fittler deflected discuss his future within the job and refused to analyse his interchange use or picks post-game.
“I spoke to Cookie about it, that might occur and I assumed he did an excellent job,” he stated.
‘You may’t cowl each place.
“It could have been a bit extra attention-grabbing if he (Trbojevic) was on the market however you’ve acquired handy it to their defence.
“Not often did we seem like we had been going to interrupt them.”
-AAP