Queensland’s quest for a ninth straight Origin series will commence this Wednesday with the first of two Origin matches at Suncorp Stadium this year.
Queensland haven’t lost in Brisbane since the final game of the 2009 series, six games ago, which was a dead-rubber after they had won the first two matches.
The home-side head into this game looking very familiar, with the only change to the victorious game 3 line-up from last year, being the inclusion or Rooster Aidan Guerra to the bench for Sam Thaiday who is out due to a calf injury.
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The partnerships that Queensland has been able to build through the consistency of their line-up have proved invaluable time and time again over the years.
As their reign approaches a decade, many question the average age of the Queensland squad and if they’ll be able to keep pace with another year of Origin however, the Maroons average age is 28 whilst for the Blues it is 26.8.
Queensland will field seven over the age of 30 on Wednesday night whereas the Blues have six in this age bracket.
It’s an argument that the pen can be put through quickly.
Queensland’s Achilles heel will be their starts, the first quarter of the game, which they’ll have to address as for the past couple of series this area of their game as seen them behind early however, this is the first Origin opener played in Brisbane since 2011 and only the second since 2007 so their should be no excuse on this front either as they’ll have the wave of an emotional home-crowd support behind them.
BLUES
NSW got to within two points of breaking the Maroons dominance in the final game of last year’s series, losing 12 – 10.
It was the third year in the row that the series went to the third game and NSW, who had edged closer to a series victory each year since the QLD white-wash of 2010, looked well placed at the start of this year to register their first Origin series win since 2005.
However, several injuries and some of the players from last year’s squad struggling to find form have seen a severe shake-up for the NSW Blues side this year with plenty of new faces in the backline including a new half and five-eight combination.
Canterbury’s Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds, who had led their side to eight wins from ten games this season, have been selected as the halves over the top of out-of-form Roosters James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce.
It will be Hodkinson’s first taste of Origin whilst Reynolds only played 15mins in the final game last year. It’ll be a massive challenge for the pair charged with producing enough points to counter’s Queensland’s back-line who at club level, enjoying playing behind one of the biggest forward packs in the league who often have the advantage over their opposition.
To assists his halves, NSW Coach Laurie Daley has gone with a solid, no frills forward pack that boasts plenty of experience and with the inclusion of young firebrand Aaron Woods in the front-row, expect NSW to be able to hold their own up front.
Another positive for NSW is Hodkinson form with the boot. He has kicked them at a strike rate of better than 85% this year and in Origin where points are hard to come by, his accuracy will be an advantage.
WRAP
In the past three series, Queensland have won the opening game by margins of 4 (16 – 12, 2010), 8 (18 – 10, 2011) and 8 (14 – 6, 2013) with each of the games producing less then 28 match points.
Whilst Qld Fullback Greg Inglis is the most prolific try-scorer in Origin history, his winger team-mate Darius Boys also boasts a very good record, having scored three tries in the past two Origins played at Suncorp and six from as many games over the past two series.
Somewhat surprisingly, fullback Billy Slater hasn’t scored in Origin since Game III 2011.
For the Blues it is the Morris Brothers and centre Michael Jennings that historical have provided the majority of the NSW tries.
Between this trio they have registered six tries in the past two series and the Blues’ halves will be looking to get the ball into their hands as quickly as possible.
Jarryd Hayne returns to the Blues line up in the fullback spot for only the second time since Game II 2010. He has been in super form for his Club side Parramatta this season and will prove a real weapon for the Blues in attack.
Of Queensland’s past nine victories, four games have been won by a margin of ten points or more and three of those wins have come at Suncorp Stadium.
A tried and true Queensland line-up playing the series opener at Suncorp, two factors where their record is very strong, in-front of a parochial home crowd should prove too hard a nut for the new edition of the Blues to crack.
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Odds Comparison:
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| Queensland Maroons | 1.45 | 1.45 | 1.43 | 1.45 | 1.45 | 1.42 |
| New South Wales Blues | 2.85 | 2.80 | 2.90 | 2.80 | 2.85 | 2.90 |
All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.
Teams:
Queensland Maroons team for State of Origin 2014 Game 1:
1. Billy Slater, 2. Darius Boyd, 3. Greg Inglis, 4. Justin Hodges, 5. Brent Tate, 6. Johnathan Thurston, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Matt Scott, 9. Cameron Smith, 10. Nate Myles, 11. Chris McQueen, 12 Matt Gillett, 13 Corey Parker, 14. Daly Cherry-Evans, 15. Ben Te’o 16. Josh Papalii, 17. Aidan Guerra 18. Will Chambers, 19. Jake Friend
New South Wales Blues team for State of Origin 2014 Game 1:
1. Jarryd Hayne, 2. Brett Morris, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Michael Jennings 5. Daniel Tupou, 6. Josh Reynolds, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. Aaron Woods, 9. Robbie Farah, 10. James Tamou, 11. Ryan Hoffman, 12. Beau Scott, 13. Paul Gallen, 14. Trent Merrin, 15. Anthony Watmough, 16. Luke Lewis, 17. Tony Williams
News:
Experienced back-rower Anthony Watmough claims the team spirit in the current NSW side is the best he’s experienced since making his State of Origin debut nine year ago.
Watmough played in one game in the last series won by the Blues in 2005, but has been in and out of the team ever since, finding himself the victim of the constant chopping and changing by selectors.
Next Wednesday’s clash in Brisbane will be only his 13th Origin appearance, and last year under Laurie Daley was the first time the Manly and Test star had played in all three games of a series.
The 30-year-old believes that because most of the same players have been in and around the team for the last three years a tight bond has formed and was strengthened by spending five days in camp in the unfamiliar surrounds of Coffs Harbour.
“I said to the boys last night, this is the closest team I’ve ever been a part of,” Watmough said.
“I think what the boys have built over the last few years is really good mateship, really good friendship, and to come into camp and to be so natural – it’s really coming out on the field.
“We’ve been training excellent. The last few camps it’s been a little bit stop start and not knowing your role but this one it’s been short and sharp from the start.”
The Blues played in an opposed session with a representative side from the Group 3 competition in their last serious work out before jetting in to Brisbane on Sunday afternoon on a chartered flight from Coffs.
Training has largely been closed to the media this week and Watmough said that has added to the professional feel that was somewhat missing when using public facilities in the Sydney beachside suburb of Coogee.
“We can run through our plays as much as we want with no defenders, but until you actually run through them (the plays) with defenders and see what you need to work on, you’re just going through the motions,” he said.
“We got a lot out of it, we know where we’re at, we know where we sit.
“If you’re just running against no one then you go out there on Wednesday and when things start going against you and you don’t know what you’re doing and you don’t know how to get out of it but with these it certainly helps.