There will be a nominal ‘decider’ in Brisbane. But the Origin series is already over

Something weird can happen to those north of the Tweed River when they head south of the Murray.

The Once-Mighty Queenslanders can just look like queenslanders. Of course, they dominate in Brisbane. And it is just about a matter of faith that even when playing in NSW, they grow an extra leg, put on 10kg of muscle and play with enough heart to make Phar Lap envious.

But at the MCG? Mehhhhh.

In attack, they can be flat-footed, in defence, round-heeled. And they have pretty much ever been thus. Going into Wednesday night’s match, they’d registered just one win at the MCG in three decades. One lousy victory in six times at bat!

And so it looked to be in the first half. Of the Maroons team that had completely terrorised NSW in Sydney three weeks ago – before Kalyn Ponga was sent off and the Blues had snuck an exceedingly lucky win – there was no sign. In that first 40 minutes, it was NSW doing most of the scoring, Queensland doing most of the boring.

The Blues were two tries to the good before they’d barely broken a sweat: the first to Kotoni Staggs after great lead-up work from Marky Mark Nawaqanitawase making his debut appearance on the wing; the second by Nawaqanitawase himself, in the corner that he owns. And he missed a third by a whisker’s whisker.

A complete and unexpected Blues blowout seemed like a real chance. Fortunately for Queensland, just before the half was over a superb passage of play with the ball going through six pairs of hands ended with Trent Loiero going over to make it 12-8 at the break.

The question was, who would come out in the second half?

Would it be Billy Moore’s QUEENSLANDERS!?

Or e.e. cummings’ queenslanders?

We were not long in finding out.

Straight after the break, the record crowd of 91,671 saw a rampaging QUEENSLANDER side as rarely seen before. The brutes ran in nigh on a point a minute, adding 36 points to their first-half tally, including three great tries to Maroons winger Selwyn Cobbo. Everywhere was a Maroons tide, crashing on Blues shores.

All NSW could put up against it in the first instance was a super try right in the corner to … Marky Mark Nawaqanitawase. (Yes, you’re right, a certain pattern was emerging.) Another late one to NSW closed the score to a slightly more respectable 44-24, but don’t be fooled, this was a Maroons massacre, just like mother used to make.

Yes, there will be a nominal “decider” up in Brissie in three weeks time. But you can put the glasses down now. It doesn’t matter what tactics this Blues team might pursue, what motivational speeches they might make to each other, or hear, this Queensland team is better manned, better planned, better coached. They are simply a much better team.

Maroons players such as Harry Grant, Sam Walker, Cobbo, Lindsay Collins, Cameron Munster, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Ponga are just imperial in Origin, and NSW simply don’t have their collective equal.

Nathan Cleary started well, but disappeared. Victor Radley was an unguided missile. Payne Haas was a little on mute, as was James Tedesco. I didn’t see the rest.

To NSW, I could say, I guess, better luck next time. But what would be the point? They would need lottery luck to win the next one. And they just won’t get it.

What I do say to them is, given you can’t win, can you blokes at least look after Marky Mark Nawaqanitawase, please? We of rugby are going to need him for next year’s World Cup, where he is to be our superstar. Your job is to look after him.

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