State of Origin 2025

[happy_tiger]

The NRL are all about money, what do you reckon Hap?

Wouldn't surprise me ......SOO is starting to lose its lustre

 

[gregjm87]

Anyone think NSW lack any sort of creativity out of dummy half? QLD don’t need to do any homework on Robson. Never runs. Just shovels to first receiver. Safe a great defensively, but will never have an opposition second guessing.

Yes. However I also think there is more than enough points in the NSW backline to favour a defensive hooker over an attacking one.

 

[coivtny]

Are we starting to see a problem occurring or is it just coincidence
Game 2 2024 Qld were penalised 7 to 0 in the 1st half after winning Game 1
Game 2 2025 NSW were penalised 8 to 0 in the 1st half after winning Game 1
Is this the NRL way of guaranteeing a live Game 3 decider

Good point Happy.

 

[gregjm87]

I honestly wouldn’t be making wholesale changes, NSW win the series last night if not for goal kicking. They are clearly the better team when they actually play football and stop the niggling tactics.

Steph should go for sure, hopefully Barnett will be back. Both Robson and Watson were good in game one, I’d keep them in. I’d keep Edwards in too, it was tough conditions for a fullback last night and though he didn’t inject himself into the game much, I thought he was pretty safe at the back.

The halves might be an issue if both Moses and Cleary are unavailable. Luai should keep his spot as long as he doesn’t get too over hyped again and just plays footy like he did in the second half. So it would be Luai at 6 but who at 7? Someone else needs to kick goals, Lomax’s confidence is shot.

I don't get why Lomax was the preferred option to start with. Obviously Cleary wasn't kicking due to injury but Mitchell is by far the better goal kicker and Crichton hits them marginally better also. Lomax is the only one of them who consistently kicks under 80%

 

[Snidest 0]

I honestly wouldn’t be making wholesale changes, NSW win the series last night if not for goal kicking. They are clearly the better team when they actually play football and stop the niggling tactics.

Steph should go for sure, hopefully Barnett will be back. Both Robson and Watson were good in game one, I’d keep them in. I’d keep Edwards in too, it was tough conditions for a fullback last night and though he didn’t inject himself into the game much, I thought he was pretty safe at the back.

The halves might be an issue if both Moses and Cleary are unavailable. Luai should keep his spot as long as he doesn’t get too over hyped again and just plays footy like he did in the second half. So it would be Luai at 6 but who at 7? Someone else needs to kick goals, Lomax’s confidence is shot.

Barnett's done his ACL

 

[Flippedy]

Barnett's done his ACL

Bummer

 

[tiger_one]

Bummer

No, champion @Flippedy, the ACL is nowhere near the bummer ..... 😉

 

[TheClaws]

I don't get why Lomax was the preferred option to start with. Obviously Cleary wasn't kicking due to injury but Mitchell is by far the better goal kicker and Crichton hits them marginally better also. Lomax is the only one of them who consistently kicks under 80%

I agree, Daley has completely lost the plot, I would have had Latrell and Critta kicking before Lomax. They are much more consistent, Lomax can be really hot or freezing cold.

 

[Flippedy]

I don't get why Lomax was the preferred option to start with. Obviously Cleary wasn't kicking due to injury but Mitchell is by far the better goal kicker and Crichton hits them marginally better also. Lomax is the only one of them who consistently kicks under 80%

Yeah I thought Mitchell might’ve been given a shot. However I think Lomax is a good kicker usually and he kicks the ball cleanly. He wasn’t far off, 2 of those sideline conversion attempts were so close, it’s not like he completely shanked them. They bounce in instead of out, series over. Who knows if Mitchell or Critta would’ve done better. Hopefully we’ll find out next game.

 

[cktiger]

I don't get why Lomax was the preferred option to start with. Obviously Cleary wasn't kicking due to injury but Mitchell is by far the better goal kicker and Crichton hits them marginally better also. Lomax is the only one of them who consistently kicks under 80%

I thought exactly the same thing.

 

[ezybro]

Congrats to the QLDers, p.s don’t take this too seriously

 

[Tiger_Yoshi]

Not much talk about Spencer Lenu. He is not the impact player he thinks he is

 

[tigerballs]

Why does he get every big match when he stuffs it up every time?

I don't think he stuffs it up, I think he gives the NRL exactly what they want.
I think this puts to bed the argument that referees don't decide games.

 

[crazycat]

Yes. However I also think there is more than enough points in the NSW backline to favour a defensive hooker over an attacking one.

You would think so with:
Crichton
To'o
Lomax
Latrell Mitchell??? Wait Latrell played? Seriously I don't even recall him.

Yet other then To'o it did not seem as points heavy. Lomax tried and failed...

Kalyn Ponga had a bad game but he was there... Dylan Edwards did an ok job but IMHO put Ryan Paps in and suddenly things change.

 

[crazycat]

Honestly what are people complaining about.

The refereeing Sucked, but it was one of the best Origin games I have seen in ages.
Hard hits.
Good tries,(good but not great. No real stunners.)
A bit of a beef
lots of scoring.

Laurie lost the first half, but the way NSW came back... I think he did well.
All credit to Slater, I thought firing DCE would be a death sentence. Guy has coaching smarts and dare I say it, would be good here.

Bring on Game 3.

 

[Alex Seyfarth's #1 Fan]

Honestly what are people complaining about.

The refereeing Sucked, but it was one of the best Origin games I have seen in ages.
Hard hits.
Good tries,(good but not great. No real stunners.)
A bit of a beef
lots of scoring.

Laurie lost the first half, but the way NSW came back... I think he did well.
All credit to Slater, I thought firing DCE would be a death sentence. Guy has coaching smarts and dare I say it, would be good here.

Bring on Game 3.

I loved the game. Just wanted to talk smack about Stefano.

 

[Dr_Ice]

Honestly what are people complaining about.

The refereeing Sucked, but it was one of the best Origin games I have seen in ages.
Hard hits.
Good tries,(good but not great. No real stunners.)
A bit of a beef
lots of scoring.

Laurie lost the first half, but the way NSW came back... I think he did well.
All credit to Slater, I thought firing DCE would be a death sentence. Guy has coaching smarts and dare I say it, would be good here.

Bring on Game 3.

I thought the first half was a poor standard with lots of errors

 

[gregjm87]

Honestly what are people complaining about.

The refereeing Sucked, but it was one of the best Origin games I have seen in ages.
Hard hits.
Good tries,(good but not great. No real stunners.)
A bit of a beef
lots of scoring.

Laurie lost the first half, but the way NSW came back... I think he did well.
All credit to Slater, I thought firing DCE would be a death sentence. Guy has coaching smarts and dare I say it, would be good here.

Bring on Game 3.

I thought it was a poor quality game. NSW were terrible in the first half in every facet. Hard to blame the ref for the penalties when you are giving facials, throwing elbows, blatantly in front of kickers, crowding the ruck to the point you have affected the play the ball.
Then add 10 errors between the two sides, a kick out on the full and some terrible defensive reads and it was terrible viewing (for what is supposed to be a show piece event).
The 2nd half the terrible defence at least went the other way making it a contest and NSW started actually applying themselves to the game (with the exception of Stefano). But largely the errors continued as did the stop start nature of the game.
Aside from isolating Mitchell on Toia a couple times causing HTF to come in not trusting his centre there was very little quality attack. Watson taking wrong options and Cleary on one leg offered little and Mitchell and Crichton received no early ball to showcase their abilities.

 

[Tucker]

This has been the lowest quality SOO series that I can remember.
Boring games, punctuated with terrible officiating, far too many errors and poor execution from both teams.
This QLD side is awful. Without that 40 minutes of leg ups last night, they’d have been flogged. They were terrible in game 1 as well, never being in the game at home in front of a big crowd and with NSW a man short for 10 minutes. Last night, NSW played like arrogant thugs but QLD were undoubtedly looked after. 8 penalties to 0 is taking the piss. QLDs performance in that second half was embarrassing. They deserved to lose.
We get a new ref in Sydney and it could be a cricket score.