Source : ABC NEWS
The Blues leave it late to win State of Origin I 22-20, the Maroons finish with 12 players, while the bunker draws the ire of players, commentators and spectators alike.
Here are five quick hits from Origin I at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.
1. Tedesco repays Daley’s faith
Cometh the hour, cometh James Tedesco.
With the Maroons leading 20-16 with just 90 seconds left in the match, the Blues had no choice but to roll the dice after blowing some excellent scoring opportunities.
From 31 metres out, Nathan Cleary went to the sky with a high ball, as Tedesco chased through for a one-on-one contest with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
Tedesco won the ball in the air close to the Maroons’ line, but the drama did not end there.
The former Blues skipper bobbled the ball before grounding over the line to level the score at 20-20.
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The Blues still needed to land the conversion to secure the win, with Cleary in charge of goal-kicking duties.
After the clock stopped with five seconds left, Cleary sent the crowd into a frenzy when he coolly landed the decisive two points.
It capped off a remarkable comeback, with the Blues trailing 20-6 as late as the 62nd minute.
Tedesco was a contentious selection, with Blues coach Laurie Daley opting for the Roosters custodian over incumbent Dylan Edwards.
2. Ponga given marching orders
Holding a 14-point lead, 17 minutes into the second half, it appeared the Maroons were headed for a comfortable win.
That was when the match turned on its head.
Blues winger Tolutau Koula was steaming down the left touchline, with Kalyn Ponga coming across in cover defence.
Ponga helped Sam Walker stop Koula in his tracks, but his shoulder made contact with the head of the Blues debutant.
Kalyn Ponga (left) is sent from the field by referee Ashley Klein. (AAP: Mark Evans)
A scuffle between the two teams ensued but once the dust settled, referee Ashley Klein called out Ponga and delivered the news no Maroons supporter wanted to hear.
“It’s a shoulder charge, you’re off,” Klein told a bewildered Ponga, who attempted to plead his case.
Ponga’s send-off was judged extreme by the Nine TV commentary team.
“It’s a sin-bin,” Andrew Johns said.
Koula did not appear again in the match, having left the field before failing an HIA.
The Maroons were forced to finish the match with 12 players, allowing the Blues to launch their fightback.
3. Bunker denies Blues try
Were the Blues robbed in the first half?
In the 36th minute, Cameron Murray appeared to have scored a try after chasing through on Reece Robson’s kick, which had bounced off the posts into the in-goal area.
Murray beat Kurt Capewell to the ball but almost lost control it before grounding for what would have been the Blues’ second try.
Cameron Murray (right) was penalised for interfering with Kurt Capewell. (Nine Network)
Klein, however, referred the play to the bunker, who claimed Murray was “playing the man”, that being Capewell, and gave the Maroons a penalty.
“There’s not much in it but as soon as he places hands on Capewell’s back, that’s what they look for,” Maroons great Cameron Smith said on Nine’s coverage.
Murray was ready to celebrate, as was the parochial Blues crowd.
It would have been a regulation conversion attempt had the try been awarded, given the proximity to the posts, which would have set up a 20-12 scoreline in the Maroons’ advantage.
Instead, the Maroons took a 20-6 lead into the half-time break.
4. Solid Origin debuts
Several players were making their Origin debuts, but Ethan Strange was perhaps the most impressive.
A late inclusion for the Blues following Mitchell Moses’s injury, Strange stood tall, scoring the try that kick-started the host’s fightback following Ponga’s send-off.
He was penalised late in the match when the Blues were on the attack, but it was an otherwise blemish-free debut from the Canberra Raiders star.
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For the Maroons, any fears Sam Walker would be feeling nerves in his Origin debut abated early in the first half.
In one of his first touches, Walker set up Robert Toia for the opening try of the match in the 10th minute.
Deep inside Blues’ territory, the Maroons went right from dummy half through Harry Grant, who found Walker at first receiver.
The Maroons halfback took the ball to the line and stabbed a kick behind the oncoming Blues defenders, as Toia sprinted through to touch down for his try.
Only four minutes later, Walker threw the final pass to Tom Flegler for the Maroons’ second try of the match.
5. Maroons honour ‘brother’ Arrow
Jai Arrow travelled with the Maroons squad to Stadium Australia. (Getty Images: Darrian Traynor)
The news Jai Arrow had been diagnosed with MND rocked the rugby league world last week.
Arrow made 12 Origin appearances for the Maroons during his career, which was tragically cut short following his diagnosis.
The 30-year-old spent time with the Maroons in camp before Origin I and travelled with the squad on their bus to Stadium Australia on Wednesday evening.
Arrow was named the Maroons’ honorary 21st man, with a jersey bearing his name hanging up in the sheds before the match.
“Tonight we play for our brother,” a Maroons’ Instagram post read.
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The Maroons’ touching gesture is the latest example of the NRL community uniting behind Arrow.
North Queensland fans raised $50,000 for MND charities during their match with South Sydney on Sunday, when organisers sold a record $100,847 worth of raffle tickets.
