S.o.o 2014

SOO......

On ya Blues hanging in there especially at Lang Park - nothing like having qldrs walking home from a unexpected loss :highly_amused:

Who knows what the 2nd may bring in 3wks but we got the un expected.

It was a great game last night, very high quality performances from both teams. Can't say the same for the refs though.

Hayne was at his best again - that kid can turn a game on it's ear. Very lethal.

Last stanza I thought the toads would get the win.

Well the ref gave the toads the chance to win the dying moments - that scrum feed was ours if I recall right whereas the ref gave it to them.

Bit of ol days last night - blood here blood there - tuff defense more so from them I felt compared to us but we lasted.

I mentioned to others at work glad we finally left Pearce behind and look what happenned - the Dog combo worked and as you said Hayne proved again he's a big time player ! and also didn't mind sticking it to that thug hodges all game with banter etc...he's such a cheat but alot are like that as well.

We won fugly but don't mind - cronk gone certainly mucked their game plan but they have enough quality to adjust and DCE will slot in anyway.

I missed it. Forgot it was on and didn't tape it.

That's your fault Maurie.

I am a Queenslander and I agree that the refs were horrible. But before you start whinging I honestly think that NSW got the raw end of the deal with the majority of the calls. Especially in the last 10 minutes even I had to shake my head.

NSW deserved to come away with the win. They did the preparation and they came to play. Queensland's preparation was shit. Mal decided to give them a break from trainings, go to Movieworld, go to golf instead of training. Saying that they know each other is no excuse. What happens when someone gets injured? Oh, never thought of that one! Mal will be hurting right now. Not only did the boys go down but it happened on our own turf and that shit shouldn't happen.

So I can't wait till the next one. Will be awesome. Hayne was the difference. Not a fan but when he decides he wants to play the man can play. Let's see what the mighty Maroons do when they decide to turn up and play 80 minute footy in 3 weeks time. Because 20 minutes just doesn't cut it any more.

yer well said Perko mostly.
Being a real football follower and player I still have the mind set that refs are not perfect thats how it goes - win some you lose some but in these high profile games it sure should be much better - NRL's 2 ref policy is a fail but what else can be done, sure wouldn't want any game to go down the gayfl path thats for sure.

I don't think the prep mattered - thats been said before many times in the past, on the day things didn't work out, surprisingly that pluck the win in the dying seconds for a change didn't happen, tell you why, why pass the ball to Slater on the last run of play ? thats not his game, where as throw the ball to GI or Thurston it would have been another matter but tbh blue boys wouldn't have desrved that.
I'd love to see what Mal would be like without the stars he had over his tenure for tbh don't rate him at all, he just thrives on the qldr call and his fellow ex mates.
Be interesting once the dynasty comes to an end.

Ian - gtfo - heard of the internet :)

Yes, Perko, Blues got the raw end. I didn't say that though - I was hoping a Queenslander would come out and say it.

With me moving houses and fitting floor at the same time I just didn't get the chance to buy a new tv to watch the game. I said to myself stuff it, we're going to lose may as well not watch it at all. Then a couple of hours before kick off I had that Origin fever really kick in. Called a mate and watched it at his place. Honestly, what a spectacle of a match. I thought it was the highest intensity game ever, as well as the toughest and roughest. Seriously, if they play like this then who needs the biff?

I think because they couldn't have fights they took it out on each other in defense and offense. They smashed each other playing football but the quality of play was tremendous.

Maurie I think Mal would still do very well even without the players. He is not the coach in the traditional sense. He is more the manager. Look at his support staff and he has the best people around him to do specific jobs. He would be lost without these people. But he has the foresight to choose the staff and let them do what they do best. The best example was at half time when you saw the Qld dressing room. Mal stood back and Hagan did most of the talking. Hagan is the strategy man and a good coach in his own right.

For me it was still prep. Qld didn't play 80 minute footy. You can't run on 80% and then expect to grab that 2 minutes from the end win everytime. It was a good win to the Blues and they are soaking it up at the moment. That is good, because it's the only win that they will get this series.

Yes agree on Mal - a manager, therefore I don't consider he a coach at all, Hagan has done his apprentiship long ago with the Knights he's the man, is Close still in as the moral man so to speak ?
I reckon losing Cronk rocked their stratergy more so than lack of prep, though Thurston is the natural replacement so it wouldn't have changed that much.
I suppose the blue defense stopped alot of ball getting wide for thats your strength far more so than us with GI etc running over the blue guys that didn't happen enough. That will be the call more so than anything else next game - get it wide.
Look same old same old for me - your right it could be the back to usual next 2 games, this game isn't like it used to be for me and tbh the only games I watch in full if possible incl the GF but just as in my beloved real football for eg EPL where manu won for so long its not good for the game in general, EPL this season has been rated as the best in 10+ yrs for its got monotenous, yes even as winners for so long the game benefits you losing sooner or later.

Oh yeah. Another aggressive game but scrappier. Perfect ending with Hayne flying into the crowd's arms. At last. Well done NSW. And well done QLD on a remarkable streak.