Lastnight I was cranky, thismorning less so. More disappointed, but if I'm honest with myself we did very well to hang in there without Cronk. JT was uber dirty with himself after that, the look on his face in the dressing room after the game said it all. He will be firing come Game 2.
I believe Reynolds should have been sent, but it was never going to happen. It was a deliberate dangerous tackle IMO, he got under him and lifted from Tate's hips. There was never an intent to keep his legs below his head. If the other bloke wasn't dragging Tatey's upper body around and under, he's on his head and his career (if not his fucking life) is over. There's no excuse for that, especially after incidents this year, and IMO he's very very lucky to only get hit with a Grade 2 for it. Should have been a Grade 3 minimum, and if he does challenge it tonight I hope they sit the grubby **** down for the 3 games he'll miss if he doesn't get it downgraded. If he gets off with less than 2 games there'll be a fucking mutiny, and so there should. Wonder what Alex McKinnon thinks of it, the NRL judiciary should ask him before the hearing tonight.
It was always going to be tough with Cronk out, that pretty well fucked us. If DCE wasn't 100% he should not have been in the side, as his role was always going to be what it was, if Cronk/Thursto got injured. How often last week did we hear that you can't carry people in Origin, lastnight proved it. Below-par games for a few of our guys, it feels very much like last year.
You get the feeling that the Blues played as well as they could've with their team lastnight - there's no improvement there. They will be better for Bird and Fifita back, but only to the extent that those two will replace their not-as-solid replacements from this game. The pressure of 9 straight will be as much on the Blues in game 2, as it will be on our boys. On the other hand, we know for a fact QLD has a ton of improvement possible. Our halves weren't in it. Smith was on one leg for half of the game. Matty Scott was fairly quiet. Inglis never got the ball in any sort of space.
I think our forwards, although smaller, matched them pretty well. Guerra is made for Origin on that performance, outstanding first game, he was out on his feet after 10 minutes but kept turning up. I was stoked with Teo's efforts, he had some good strong runs and some stinging defence. Myles was again outstanding. Parker solid, I thought Gillette was pretty solid too personally (although we win if he holds the ball for that try..) Big Papa I thought was pretty good as well, he's still finding his feet at this level and let's not forget his form this season hasn't been great to say the least, so I was happy with him.
Our backs were also great. You can't fault the effort and heart shown there. Boyd was again solid, Tatey always grows an extra leg. Hodgo tried very hard and I thought did pretty well defensively to shut down their left side too. Slater was outstanding, although his days are clearly numbered, his body just won't take a whole lot more. Inglis just needs more ball, period. He didn't get the chance to do anything really, he was swamped whenever he got the ball.
Thurston will be a mile better. Hayne had his number tonight, and that won't happen again this series, I can guarantee it.
Refs were ordinary, both ways tonight. High shots not picked up. Inconsistencies in penalties (or lack of) for tacklers being too slow to move. The penalty that got them to 12 points was bullshit, and if we were 2 behind instead of 4 then that last period of the game is very fucking different. We got some rubbish calls in the last few minutes. Morris knocked on at one point and it was missed. Slater was taken very late off the ball, and he wasn't the only one. Papa's hit was fair, he couldn't have pulled out and let's face it, Gallen had it coming ;) All in all, disappointed in the officials. They need to be better. Wonder if Laurie's spiel on Tuesday about not getting 50-50 calls in Brisbane had anything to do with some of the early calls. But, we can't blame the refs for the loss, we had the chances and couldn't take them.
NSW will need to be a lot better to take Game 2, despite it being in Sydney. We need more starch in the middle, or Fifita will have a field day. If we can hold the middle, I think we will take the game, injuries aside. That for me is by far the most concerning thing. Definitely no Cronk. Potentially Slater/Smith/DCE(?)/Hodgo(?)...you can't replace those guys' experience at this level. And a win over a NSW with their tails up, in Sydney, will be too much to ask IMO. DCE in for Cronk and the others OK? We will win. Any more out, and I have grave concerns.
All up, proud of the boys to come back at them like that, especially a man down all game and our #7 at that. It illustrates the gap that remains between the teams IMO...down our halfback, with many others well below par - and still could have won it. Sydney will be massive...I just hope we can field a strong enough team to do what we all know can be done.
