OFFICIAL 2025 State of Origin - Game I Discussion

92/93 vibes. Just dont have the cattle and nsw have the depth just about everywhere.
Grit will get us a game here and there but cant sustain it over a series.
Got smashed at will through the middle. Till they fix that doesnt matter what we do.

Dce was invisible. Dearden gave us a bit more impetus when he came on but also the ruck looked unorganized when he did - too many chiefs.
 
1910 said:
Queensland's attack needs a re-think. One try since 67th minute in game two last year shows it's just not working.

One try in 173 minutes.

It just looks like the canvas is too blank and they're just relying on brilliance and you're not going to break down an Origin defence like that.

They need a plan to get Hammer and Ponga the ball in situations that suit them.
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There is no such thing as Hammer in space. The only thing he is good at on a football field is backing up a guy that has made a linebreak. I will continue to say it. What is he actually good at? He isnt strong. He got given space against chricton numerous times in that 2nd half and he rounded him up easily, he doesn't run the ball with urgency, he is soft in contact. He is big for no reason and he was found out defensively numerous times. I do not get it with the dude. He is a bloke that just floats throughout games and somehow has this reputation as a game breaker. Toia looked like the veteran compared to him.
 
JayPee said:
There is no such thing as Hammer in space. The only thing he is good at on a football field is backing up a guy that has made a linebreak. I will continue to say it. What is he actually good at? He isnt strong. He got given space against chricton numerous times in that 2nd half and he rounded him up easily, he doesn't run the ball with urgency, he is soft in contact. He is big for no reason and he was found out defensively numerous times. I do not get it with the dude. He is a bloke that just floats throughout games and somehow has this reputation as a game breaker. Toia looked like the veteran compared to him.
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But he’s got cool hair and has a really nice fend once every 18 games and boy oh boy have you seen his smile?
 
JayPee said:
There is no such thing as Hammer in space. The only thing he is good at on a football field is backing up a guy that has made a linebreak. I will continue to say it. What is he actually good at? He isnt strong. He got given space against chricton numerous times in that 2nd half and he rounded him up easily, he doesn't run the ball with urgency, he is soft in contact. He is big for no reason and he was found out defensively numerous times. I do not get it with the dude. He is a bloke that just floats throughout games and somehow has this reputation as a game breaker. Toia looked like the veteran compared to him.
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He is quick and serviceable in defence (at centre, he is shocking positionally at FB) - that's it. He has zero playmaking ability so I'm not sure why people are advocating for him to play fullback.
 
Forward pack was comprehensively beaten. Edge attacks by Ponga and DCE were shut down by Mitchell and S. Crichton. Would've liked to have seen Hammer and Ponga around the middle more looking for quick ball or offloads, but, forward pack was dominated.

A lot of the field pressure, and probably our forward pack problems, can be attributed to NSW's back 3 and how many meters they made. Having strong carries by 3 like that is in my opinion the best platform to build a team in today's game. QLD just don't have those options anywhere.
 
BroncsFan said:
I feel like it's never been a worse time to be a qld supporter.... so the number you are pointing to are potentially just the NSW base coming back after the 2010's were completely dominated by Qld, well at least in origin.

There is far more NSW representation across the game than Qld... so if they are up and about then the numbers will back it.

The 4 qld teams are not looking like they are anywhere near the genuine contenders, and only one of them is even coached by a qlder... are Woolf and Wayne the only qld coaches in NRL at the moment??

It just seems like the talent isn't coming through the lower grades, especially when you compare that to NSW.

They have been dominating the under-age origins, with their guys looking like actual NRL players in terms of physicality and athleticism, plus they come in and are able to fit into first grade systems.

Similar is also becoming apparent in the women's game where NSW play a style that is looking like first grade... in terms of shape, defence, etc. Compared to Qld who are still just relying on individual talent.

NSWRL system is just all over the QRL in terms of coaching and development.
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Yea all fair points. Although I guess then its not really an NRL problem (the game seems to be going great), but a QRL problem.

It could also just be timing. Qld dominated for 12 years. Maybe its just NSW turn.
 
Santa said:
Yea all fair points. Although I guess then its not really an NRL problem (the game seems to be going great), but a QRL problem.

It could also just be timing. Qld dominated for 12 years. Maybe its just NSW turn.
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We are at the bottom of our cycle while nsw are starting to peak imo.
Might be a lean couple of years until the pendulum shifts again.
 
Santa said:
Yea all fair points. Although I guess then its not really an NRL problem (the game seems to be going great), but a QRL problem.

It could also just be timing. Qld dominated for 12 years. Maybe its just NSW turn.
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Timing, injuries and squad selection IMO. We've massively missed Flegler and Gilbert the last couple of years. DCE should have called time on his Origin career at the start of the season...even if it is a sideways move, I would have preferred Fogarty over him. I also would have picked Horsburgh tbh, yeah he didn't have the best debut a few years back but we're lacking that fire. Haas tore us in half last night.
 
The Boss said:
If Ponga continues to be out of form and Walsh not fully fit maybe Queensland should give Iongi a run?
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I would definitely be keeping an eye on Iongi... he doesnt have the hype that Ponga and Walsh bring... but he looks safe under the high ball, physically strong and fast for kick returns and he has enough ball playing to finish off 3v2's.

He might be a game 3 smokey to bring in on the wing or in the centres if the series is already lost.
 
JayPee said:
There is no such thing as Hammer in space. The only thing he is good at on a football field is backing up a guy that has made a linebreak. I will continue to say it. What is he actually good at? He isnt strong. He got given space against chricton numerous times in that 2nd half and he rounded him up easily, he doesn't run the ball with urgency, he is soft in contact. He is big for no reason and he was found out defensively numerous times. I do not get it with the dude. He is a bloke that just floats throughout games and somehow has this reputation as a game breaker. Toia looked like the veteran compared to him.
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He was so poor last night and has been for pretty much the whole year... he looked like our long term solution for left centre when he first came in.

Had x factor to finish off any try if put in space and also locked down Turbo or Latrell in one of the series.

Last night he looked an absolute shell of what he's done for qld in the past
 
Santa said:
Yea all fair points. Although I guess then its not really an NRL problem (the game seems to be going great), but a QRL problem.

It could also just be timing. Qld dominated for 12 years. Maybe its just NSW turn.
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Qld dominated off the back of having a generational squad coming through at the same time.

It seems like QRL haven't been able to develop actual football players and instead it's just been freak athletes coming through who happen to be really good at footy.

I think it would be interesting to look back at U18/U20 origins over the last 5 or so years and see how many of the guys picked across the NSW and QLD teams have made the step up to NRL.

That could be a good representation of the two states identifying the elite talent from their pathways, and then how many of them make it through to first grade and go on to be legitimate NRL players.

I also have a sneaky conspiracy theory of Sydney clubs getting talented Qld'ers into their systems and then just burying them.
 
Sproj said:
But he’s got cool hair and has a really nice fend once every 18 games and boy oh boy have you seen his smile?
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He is fast I guess. Once he is actually in space. Not trying to create that space.
 
Lets be honest, Slater was a great player, but is a shit coach.
 
BroncsFan said:
I would definitely be keeping an eye on Iongi... he doesnt have the hype that Ponga and Walsh bring... but he looks safe under the high ball, physically strong and fast for kick returns and he has enough ball playing to finish off 3v2's.

He might be a game 3 smokey to bring in on the wing or in the centres if the series is already lost.
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He was Queensland fullback in 2022, had a terrible game and has improved obviously since then.

I couldn't believe the other night when Lockyer said are you a Queenslander. He's played Cyril, Meninga and Queensland U19.
 
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