The fans flocked to Telstra Stadium in anticipation of a thrilling match for the second game of the 2004/2005 State of Origin, with Queensland looking fired up after their first game embarassment. The media was abuzz during the week with talk from Queensland coach Roger Bossert, who claimed his side ‘couldn’t lose’ to the side selected by NSW coach, Anthony Magro. As the players took the field, it remained to be soon whether Bossert’s words would be prophetic, or just more bombast from the master.
NSW QLD
1 Anthony Minichiello 1 Mat Rogers
2 Amos Roberts 2 Ben Tune
3 Ryan Girdler 3 Paul Bowman
4 Matthew Gidley 4 Shaun Berrigan
5 Hazem El Masri 5 Wendell Sailor
6 Trent Barrett © 6 Darren Lockyer ©
7 Craig Gower 7 Scott Prince
8 Jason Ryles 8 Petero Civoniceva
9 Craig Wing 9 Cameron Smith
10 Mark O'Meley 10 Shane Webcke
11 Andrew Ryan 11 Michael Crocker
12 Craig Fitzgibbon 12 Luke Williamson
13 Scott Magro 13 Scott Sattler
++Interchange
14 Matt Orford 14 Sean Towers
15 Ben Kennedy 15 Antonio Kaufusi
16 Matt Adamson 16 Gorden Tallis
17 Daniel Abraham 17 Chris Flannery
Two different sides may have taken the park, but the fiery intensity of the game’s opening was a carbon copy of the first game, with big hits and some inspiring runs from the two world class packs. Whilst NSW looked damaging with promising runs from Matthew Gidley and Craig Gower, the Maroons’ hard-as-nails pack looked equal to the task. Much as it did in game one, first points went to the Maroons, who received a hostile reception from the predominantly NSW crowd. Still, nobody could have booed Cameron Smith when he weaved his way to the line from fifteen out to score the opening points of the game. Mat Rogers, yet to miss a goal in 2004/2005, easily knocked over the conversion from the left of the uprights to make it 6-0 after six minutes of play. Queensland had, once again, made an ideal start.
The injection of Sean Towers into the game sparked some inventive play from the Queenslanders, who began to frustrate the Blues with some darting runs from Scott Prince and Towers. The frustration translated into points in the 10th minute, when Mark O’Meley’s swinging arm caught Shaun Berrigan high and gave Rogers an opportunity to extend the lead. Continuing his superb form with the boot, the favourite for the Australian fullback job slotted it over for an 8-0 lead. It didn’t improve for NSW, either, with Hazem El Masri taken from the park in the 17th minute after he fell awkwardly in a Scott Sattler tackle. The early reports indicate El Masri could be out for as long as three weeks, and with no wingers on the bench, a reshuffle became necessary. Daniel Abraham, a man who hadn’t played backline football in several years, became an unlikely winger outside the explosive Matthew Gidley.
The change didn’t spark anything on its own, but veteran centre Ryan Girdler certainly did, taking a quick tap after a penalty for offside and taking the unorthodox step of chipping the defence from only seven out. In many ways it proved to be a soft try, with Queensland players crying foul that the tap was allowed before they’d had a chance to set their line. The complaints were all in vain, with the try awarded and Scott Magro converting from in front to make it 8-6. Just like that, it was once again ‘game on’ for the Blues.
The game continued on at a frantic pace, but unlike the opening game, there was something extra in the air. The players ran with just a little more aggression, the backs moved with a touch more electricity in their step, and the crowd got up at even the slightest hint of a line break. When Michael Crocker and Mark O’Meley got into a bit of fisticuffs in the 25th, it capped off what had been a marvellous opening quarter of passionate football. Unfortunately for Blues’ fans, however, their night just got worse when Ryan Girdler was pulled from the field after twisting his ankle in a copybook cover tackle from Wendell Sailor. The troops were drying about for NSW, with Matt Adamson becoming an unlikely centre.
If the injuries were demoralising the Blues, they didn’t show it, and claimed the lead for the first time in the 28th minute. A controversial omission from the opener two weeks ago, Ben Kennedy showed what a damaging player he can be when he stormed onto a Craig Gower short-ball and rampaged into the in goal. Scott Magro was again faultless with the boot, and despite the odds being against them, NSW took a 12-8 lead with half-time just around the corner. While they lead on the scoreboard, the Blues began to look shaky going into the break. Playing in the centres, big Matt Adamson struggled to hold onto the ball under heavy pressure from Shaun Berrigan and Ben Tune. After his second knock on in five minutes, Queensland pounced to regain their lead. The try came in traditional Queensland fashion, with the forwards hitting the line and gradually wearing down the more flashy NSW pack. This time the try came to another veteran, with Scott Sattler wrestling loose of a Trent Barrett tackle to plant the ball on the line. The video referee had to take a few looks at it, but the ball’s point clearly touched the chalk, and the sides were locked up again. Mat Rogers stepped up to the plate to make it 14-12.
The remaining five minutes were not without incident. First was a caution issued to both captains, after the half’s second ugly melee erupted in the 37th minute. This time it was Matt Adamson and Wendell Sailor getting into it, with Ben Tune also cautioned for running across the field to land a sneaky blow on the Fairfield back-rower. The highlight, however, was to come in the 40th minute, after the siren had gone. Eager to put the game to bed, the Queenslanders ran it on the last, with Ben Tune catching Daniel Abraham napping when he latched onto a cut-out pass from Mat Rogers. With Abraham not renowned for his speed, it came down to Anthony Minichiello being able to make a decision between Tune and his support player, Paul Bowman. Ever the experienced campaigner, Minichiello hit Tune with a monstrous shoulder charge to send the Coffs Harbour winger spiralling into touch. The ball came loose, however, and bounced back in field to a surprised Paul Bowman. With Minichiello still on the ground, Bowman had a virtually unguarded passage to the line. Thankfully for NSW fans, however, Daniel Abraham hadn’t let up his chase, and dragged down the Brisbane centre only five metres from the line. Half-time sounded after one of the most frantic, exciting, and hard fought first halves in recent history.
HALFTIME: QLD 14 lead NSW 12
The crowd bounced along to a rendition of ‘We Will Rock You’ from Grinspoon at halftime, and it definitely became the theme for the game, as the two sides came out to the field for the second stanza. First points didn’t take long to come, with Scott Magro adding two points to his side’s tally after only forty seven seconds of play in the second half. Locked at 14 all, the game looked like it would be an old fashioned nail biter.
The 45th minute brought jubilation from the Queenslanders in the crowd, when a Scott Prince forty-twenty put his side well and truly on the attack. When big Wendell Sailor rushed across the line with two Blues’ defenders on his back for an apparent try, Queenslanders could sense that this could very well be the start of something big. The video referee, Nathan Hoy, had something else to say about it- and the Blues were off the hook.
Despite all of the flash in the Queensland backline, it was the forwards who were doing the impressive work. Michael Crocker, a controversial inclusion after indifferent form at Brisbane, made the game his own with powerful runs every time he touched the ball. Likewise, Scott Sattler made good his last year of Origin football with some brilliant defence to snuff out promising passages of play from the Blues. However, it was the defence of their own line that really highlighted a change of attitude in the Queensland camp, with NSW becoming frustrated after repeated sets couldn’t get them points. Mat Rogers was able to nose his side back into the lead in the 53rd minute, when the Blues were penalised for offside. A storm was well and truly brewing, with NSW players standing with hands on their hips and heads down as Rogers piloted over the routine conversion.
A Scott Magro penalty minutes later, taken despite being only thirty out from the Queensland line, highlighted a lack of enthusiasm from the Blues- who looked exhausted by the Queensland side’s ability to bring on fresh, damaging forwards at will. At sixteen all, the Blues might have been equal on the scoreboard, but they were quickly falling behind in the enthusiasm stakes. Queensland, in a half that was fast beginning to resemble a game of Rugby Union, nudged ahead once more in the 60th minute when Rogers punished Matt Orford for a lazy high shot, putting the visitors ahead 18-16 going into the final quarter.
The game’s thrilling atmosphere threatened to boil over into crowd violence in the 65th minute, unfortunately, when Michael Crocker continued his sterling game with a bullocking downfield run and an offload to Scott Prince. The elusive Brisbane halfback raced away to score beneath the sticks, inspiring scenes of ecstasy from Queenslanders. However, much to their annoyance, referee Russell Smith called it back for an incident off the ball. As security moved into the crowd to snuff some of the excessive patriotism in the crowd, the Blues began to lift a notch. Queensland were clearly demoralised by the call, and when Matthew Gidley was able to wrestle Sean Towers into touch on a dangerous blindside play, the Blues lifted their heads for the first time in some time. As the Blues began to get a roll on with fast play the balls and quick passing to their more glamorous backline, it was Queensland who quickly took the back foot. The 73rd minute presented NSW with their best chance of the half, when Anthony Mincichiello showed why he’s one of the game’s most dangerous players with a threatening return from a Darren Lockyer long kick. Weaving downfield, Minichiello was able to offload in a tackle to get Amos Roberts into space. The Sydney Oilers’ import bombed ahead, and it came down to whether Mat Rogers would be able to outleap the chase of an unlikely winger, Daniel Abraham. The ball hung in the air for what seemed like forever, before plummeting to the ground. Mat Rogers knocked it on. The capacity crowd got up as the ball bounced back towards the NSW chasers, with Mat Rogers colliding with Abraham and taking himself out of the play. Two Queenslanders, Paul Bowman and Wendell Sailor, remained against four NSW chasers. Sailor made things interesting when he raced up on the man to receive the ball, Matt Adamson. Although Adamson was well and truly punished in the tackle, he was able to throw a lazy pass to Ben Kennedy, who backed himself to be able to run over the top of Bowman. It proved to be a foolish gamble, with Bowman taking the man ball and all. The danger wasn’t over, however, with the ball being knocked loose by Bowman’s tackle and flying into the air. This time the Blues tried a different tactic, with Amos Roberts toeing it ahead and giving chase. The situation was volatile, but Mat Rogers was able to diffuse it and return the ball into the field of play. Hearts that had stopped began to beat again, and five minutes remained to decide whether game three would be a decider or a dead rubber.
Big games and tight score lines produce unlikely heroes, and with NSW proving equal to the offence of a tiring Queensland side, it came down to the boot of Antonio Kaufusi to knock a nail into the coffin of NSW. Sean Towers signalled his intention to go for one point, but found himself smothered by NSW’s fast defence. Spiralling a pass out despite the attention of Craig Wing, Towers found bench forward, Antonio Kaufusi, who steadied and took a shot at the one point. It was a wobbly, ugly field goal attempt- but after striking the bar and ricocheting into the air, it managed to fall on the other side of the cross-bar, giving the Queenslanders a three point lead. It didn’t matter in terms of the scoreboard, but the point meant the Maroons would get the ball back, and NSW would need a miracle to fight back.
The final five minutes was frantic, with NSW’s signalling their intentions when they attempted a short kick-off (which was, unfortunately for them, collected by a wary Michael Crocker). The need to score points hurt the Blues, who are traditionally front-runners, and stupid play proved far more effective at shutting them out than any defence Queensland could muster. When Ben Kennedy was forced into touch attempting an ambitious short-side play, the Maroons would have the ball thirty metres out with only two minutes remaining on the clock. It took just two tackles to signal the end of any hope of a NSW fightback, with Wendell Sailor galloping over untouched after Michael Crocker chimed into the movement and sucked in two defenders before off-loading. Rogers managed to convert his toughest attempt of the night, and the Maroons would go into a decider at Suncorp Stadium, 25-16 leaders. NSW kicked off short, regardless, but the Maroons batted the ball over the line, the siren sounding before the scrum could be set.
The Maroons players went crazy, whilst NSW went back to the sheds demoralised and not excited about the prospect of playing a decider in hostile territory.
FULLTIME
Queensland Maroons 25
Wendell Sailor
Cameron Smith
Scott Sattler
Rogers 6/6
Kaufusi 1 fg.
Defeated
NSW Blues 16
Ben Kennedy
Ryan Girdler
Magro 4/4
MAN OF THE MATCH: Michael Crocker (Queensland)
Scott Sattler (Queensland)………….2 points
Scott Prince (Queensland)…………..1 point
WELL DONE QLD!!
Once again, I have shown that I can make a team rise to the occassion. I am getting sick of Magro's smug attitude lately, so this win is what he rightly deserves.
Magro, I hope you are feeling the pressure of being the first ASRL coach in the modern era to lose a series for NSW. I hope you panic with team selections and lose the plot completely.
