Source : ABC NEWS
Queensland coach Billy Slater resists the urge to play his State of Origin trump card as the Maroons recover from an inexcusable early blunder.
Here are five quick hits from Game II at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
1. Flegler flubs his lines
Things started well for the Maroons with an early penalty goal to open the scoring, but it was immediately undone by an inexcusable blunder from Queensland prop Tom Flegler.
The kick-off nestled safely in the hands of Cameron Munster, who turned and handed off to a charging Flegler, only to watch the ball rebound straight off the hands of the man from Tully and directly to Mark Nawaqanitawase.
There were half a dozen options for the Blues debutant to pass to, but he settled on Kotoni Staggs, who managed to ground the ball between the scrambled Queensland defenders.
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Potentially related, Flegler was the first player replaced, not 15 minutes into the game.
2. Munster mashed
The Melbourne crowd watched as two of their own — Cameron Munster and Trent Loiero — combined for the first Maroons try of the night.
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But, in the background, Munster was looking shaky after being slammed into the turf by Hudson Young and, as the Blues prepared to kick off, referee Ashley Klein called him out for a head injury assessment.
Despite Munster’s protests, he was sent off the field for a concussion test that he somehow passed despite looking mighty groggy.
Cameron Munster passed his HIA despite looking very groggy. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
It could have been panic stations with Queensland trailing by four, with the skipper and key spine member out for the rest of the first half at least, but coach Billy Slater kept a cool head.
Reuben Cotter returned to the field, with utility Max Plath slotting into five-eighth, and the Maroons’ defence held firm for the final 12 minutes of the half.
3. Staggs sin bin
Queensland scored three tries between Kotoni Staggs’s high shot and his return from the sin bin. (Supplied: Channel Nine)
Kalyn Ponga’s send-off completely changed the complexion of Origin I and this time he was on the other side of remarkably similar situation.
Chiming into one of countless slick left-side raids, Ponga tipped on a ball to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who combined with Selwyn Cobbo to create yet another four-pointer down that flank.
But, for the second time, eyes turned to the play behind the try as Ponga lay flat on his back after being crushed by a jamming Kotoni Staggs.
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Staggs had hammered Ponga high and this time referee Ashley Klein listened to his bunker official, opting to sin-bin the Blues centre, rather than dismiss him for good.
Between hitting Ponga and his return from the 10-minute break, the Maroons had scored three tries and the game was over as a contest.
4. Walsh’s false starts
Former Raiders, Panthers and Warriors coach Matthew Elliott said he was “perplexed” by the decision not inject the electric Reece Walsh at fullback and move Kalyn Ponga into the halves when Munster was floored in the first half.
While he was spot on in his assessment that the Maroons “lost their way” without Munster on the field, had Billy Slater activated the specialist custodian, Walsh would not have been allowed to put back on his “inactive” bib when Munster passed his HIA, potentially messing up the Maroons’ planned bench rotation.
Twice Reece Walsh thought it might be his moment. Twice he was told to sit down. (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Walsh had another false start in the 64th minute when Ponga was flattened by Kotoni Staggs.
The Broncos superstar whipped the bib off and jumped on the headset to get his orders from Slater in the coach’s box, assuming Ponga would have to come off for a concussion check.
But, as it became clear Ponga had made it through the preliminary on-field test, the bib went back on, the headset came off and Walsh ran off to stay warm.
But, ultimately, Ponga closed out the game and Slater used his last four interchanges to spell his tired forwards as the existing outside backs proved they had plenty of strike power all on their own.
5. Selwyn’s treble
Cameron Munster laid on the first try of the second half for Selwyn Cobbo and they never looked back. (Getty Images: Quinn Rooney)
Selwyn Cobbo’s relationship with Billy Slater was called into question after missing out on last year’s series, but Cobbo was simply not himself in 2025.
He looked out of shape and mentally disengaged, ultimately being dropped for the Broncos’ premiership run and being allowed to leave the club.
But the move just a few kilometres north to the Dolphins has completely changed Cobbo’s career, if not life.
On Wednesday night he joined the ranks of the greats of the modern game and the pre-unification days by becoming the 12th man to score an Origin hat-trick.
Not only that, but he was flawless with the ball in hand, running for 199 metres (63 after contact), busting out of seven tackles, breaking the line three times and even setting up club teammate Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow for yet another Origin special.
Smiling wide and scoring tries. Welcome back, Selwyn Cobbo.
