Rewatching the game live as we speak because I've recovered from my Origin blues surprisingly quickly and the Chooks/Eels game appears to be another snooze fest.
Opening Sets
NSW definitely started off the blocks better. I'm noticing Hoffman a bit more, he's doing a couple of little things really well like getting a quick play the ball, effecting good chases and making some good tackles from marker. Thought the Maroons were unlucky with the first non-call of the night - I thought Slater's front foot was actually on the try line as he caught it but I'm willing to give the refs. the botd. The angle I have isn't conclusive and it happened at such a speed it'd be harsh to consider it a bad call.
That fantastic Pearce kick basically gives the Blues the territory to put up the first offensive kick of the night and it pays off. Again, the call went against Queensland but I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Tate should have caught the ball in either case. An interesting point I want to bring up is that Gallen actually packed in at hooker in the first scrum and Smith doesn't seem pleased with what he's doing in there. Clear to see the move unnerved him.
NSW 1st Try
NSW score off a trademark Queensland out ball in ball play. GI and Slater should have had Hayne but credit where it's due, Hayne was just too strong that close to the line and scores a fairly soft try to open the night.
Blues once again find themselves well on top until Ferguson makes a silly mistake just as he brings the ball into the Maroons half. Maroons do well laying the building blocks in response and march it 10 inside the Blues territory but Cronk's attempt at exposing Ferguson falls short. Luckily for him, Tamou gives the Maroons another shot with a simple error coming out of trouble but the Maroons fail to respond. A bad play from Smith trying to catch the Blues napping on the short side wasted a tackle and then the follow up play from Cronk was snaffled when Jennings took Slater out without the ball. Next play, Thaiday throws it to JT who puts in a lottery chip kick for Slater but Hayne has it covered.
Another call goes the Blues way here but it doesn't end up having much bearing. Farah boots it straight into Shillington who isn't even playing at the ball, it ricochets straight back to the Blues and ruled six again. Thankfully Tate and Slater force a knock on otherwise it would have been try time. Queensland fortunate that it wasn't called a strip against Slater.
Quote of the night from Klein: Oh I made a call...it was close.
NSW Penalty Goal
Cronk with his first good kick of the night is terribly unlucky when Morris and Hayne reply with an equally good response. Instead of having the Blues trapped inside their own 10, they're making easy metres down the right fringe before a penalty is blown against Boyd for hand on the ball. Very soft penalty in the context of the game. This leads to another penalty against Cam Smith for a strip against Tamou. Hard to really confirm or deny that one given the 9 coverage decided to never show a conclusive replay of it but there's enough evidence there to give Klein the benefit of the doubt.
NSW 8-0
Next set and NSW nearly score again. Fifita takes a great first carry which beats about 3 Maroons forwards and Queensland play off the back foot ever since. Maloney then cuts through Scott and Thaiday to nearly score.
Another moment that fans might forget is that instead of pushing up in support Hoffman decides to go off early in celebrating the try. Live I thought Cronk was lucky not to be binned for a professional foul...but now I reckon Klein was too quick to call a penalty. Cronk didn't lie on Maloney any longer than an average Origin tackle yet the penalty is blown straight away. Harsh again.
Maloney thankfully misses but the Blues come close to scoring again through Lewis. It's deemed that Pearce passed the ball into Lewis who didn't get a touch on it and instead kicked it. He nearly hits it back inside the field of play but the ball just touches the dead ball line. Not a fan of those calls at all and in this instance, the pass looked forward and Lewis looked to have knocked on. No replay of the lost ball is shown of course.
Maroons Fight Back
Queensland have their first good set of the night as they start implementing more second phase through Myles and Parker who comes in for Shillington. Farah then gives away a silly penalty inside his own half as he interferes with Slater on a mid-field bomb. Important to note that Myles was the player to tackle Hayne here. NSW players accuse Myles of leading with the head and the tackle leaves Hayne groggy on the ground.
Fifita receives the break of a lifetime as Nate Myles knocks on when he had an easy passage to the try line. Terrible mistake to make from Myles. Blues unlucky not to receive a penalty as Watmough is hit with a nasty spear tackle. To his credit, he shoos the trainer away and decides to play on. Hoffman then gives away a dumb penalty as he's metres infront of Pearce's kick.
Queensland make plenty of inroads this set with Hodges showing some great support play off of a Parker offload. Te'o is in on the action and takes Queensland 10m out from the try line. The play dies when Cronk's kick is played at by Lewis. Lewis regathers it and it's called play on.
Let me draw your attention to something here. When the ball ricochets off Lewis' boot it comes into contact with Bird's leg who is infront of Lewis...making it an accidental knock on. Should have been a Maroons ball but Lewis is rewarded for another gutsy effort, he's in every big play the Blues make.
Instead of Queensland receiving another shot at a tired NSW line, they're forced to bring it back deep inside their own half until Slater earns a great penalty. @
Dexter, we both originally thought this was soft but on replay, Watmough was in no man's land at second marker and Billy exploited that. A typical derp Watmough play which is why despite his enthusiasm and passion his place is often called into question.
Queensland nearly score through a well worked inside move from Hodges who gave JT all the space to put a beautiful chip kick through to Boyd. The bounce is ordinary though and it forces Boyd to slow up. In hindsight, the option was there for JT to grubber it towards the post on the next play to Cronk who was steaming through with Hayne already occupied but he doesn't and instead Slater throws a terrible offload which is eventually gathered up by Te'o. The play ends with a typical cross-field kick to Tate which NSW handle comfortably. Very Broncos like.
Maroons received another opportunity as Pearce throws a terrible ball to Lewis who knocks on. They go close to scoring on both edges but Tate stumbles on one end and Boyd has to stop on his run for the long ball on the other. Boyd made the wrong call trying to take on the Blues defence on the edge though, he was easily covered.
NSW 2nd Try
Jennings scores not long after this after NSW receive two charge downs. Bit of a 'what can you do?' type moment really. Maloney kicked it straight into Myles but then Hodges plays at a later Jennings pass to pretty much position the ball perfectly for the Blues. Then Thaiday plays at a Farah kick which would have been covered by Slater at the back - NSW had nothing on. Silly play from Sam.
NSW 14-0
Gallen-gate.
What can be said that hasn't already been said? I like a brawl as much as anyone but given there was only one offending party here in both the tackle and in the punch up Gallen deserved the bin. It's as much a sin bin now as it was in the 80s.
Also want to draw your attention to Mitchell Pearce. Somebody on here brought up his love of the biff and they weren't kidding. Pearce is there to give Parker some attention about 20m away from the action and then he barrels in there and throws a straight jab at Myles. How wasn't he marched?
Maroons receive a penalty, Gallen receives a slap on the wrist and that's half-time.
First Half Summary
NSW take a deserved 14-0 lead into the sheds. Their forwards were all over Queensland and I thought their backs played well off the back of them. A very simple gameplan but for the most part it was working. Queensland were given chances but couldn't take them for one reason. As Hadley would say, luck's a fortune for NSW and every bounce of the ball, ricochet and most calls went their way as you'd expect for a home team on top.
Lewis, Farah and Hayne stand outs. Hoffman started well but started derping up more and more as the game wore on.
