Everyone โ save for those clad in blue โ left the MCG happy.
The record State of Origin crowd of 91,671 witnessed a rugby league masterclass โ including the suited NRL executives, who have their dream decider at a time when they are attempting to broker a monster broadcast deal.
This result โ a thumping 44-24 win after a tepid start โ will raise more questions about the composition of the NSW team that allowed it to happen. This is Laurie Daleyโs 12th Origin loss with the clipboard, a result that takes him beyond Wayne Bennett for most coaching defeats. Somehow, he must produce a turnaround at that other famous cauldron, Suncorp Stadium.
There was nothing to suggest such a scoreline at the halfway point. At that juncture NSW led 12-8, but they never looked likely after the resumption.
Just about everyone was reverting to type: Cameron Munster was making it up as he went along, Harry Grant was making dummies out of markers at dummy half, and in the space of 60 seconds, Victor Radley flirted with the sin bin after twice making contact with the head of an opponent.
The Maroons scored seven tries. Some of them were as spectacular as weโve ever witnessed in the interstate arena. Three of them went the way of Selwyn Cobbo, considered a contentious selection when initially chosen. The Dolphin has never looked more at home.
The same canโt be said of NSW, at what was once a happy hunting ground. In the past three games, NSW have done their best Gout Gout impersonation: slow out of the blocks โ the cumulative score in the past three first halves was 66-12 against them. They have left their run late.
It looked like they would again leave themselves considerable ground to make up after conceding an early penalty goal. And then, the rarest of Origin gifts.
From the kick-off, Tom Flegler took a back-fence carry and, paying more attention to the rushing defence than the football, he spilled it cold. Mark Nawaqanitawase scooped it up, threw a speculative pass that hit the ground and then Kotoni Staggs, who muscled his way over the line.
It was not only a try but the end of a sequence of poor starts. The Blues, accused of being too conservative coming out of yardage, opened the shoulders. They were rewarded with cheap metres and a string of six agains that released the pressure.
Nawaqanitawase was in everything. A target for both NSW and Queensland kickers, the cross-code star then crossed for the second try of the game.
On one of the few occasions a Nathan Cleary kick didnโt find the mark, it still eventually found its target. Cleary grabbed his grubber after a ricochet from Cameron Munster and a perfect spiral pass found โMarky Markโ.
A second, even more spectacular, Nawaqanitawase try was only millimetres away from being awarded, if only his put-down hit green grass before white paint.
That Queensland have such a poor record at the MCG is a surprise. Itโs been dubbed a neutral venue, but Melbourniansโ love for their own city is outweighed only by their hatred of Sydney. The Maroons had the majority of crowd support in a timely reminder that Queensland really is everywhere.
For the best part of half an hour, they had precious little to cheer about. And then the Maroon produced something from the very top shelf. It featured a short-side raid from Harry Grant and an overhead pass from Cameron Munster, who copped a head knock โ and a head-injury assessment โ after delivering it.
The Maroons finished off the stunning sequence and a game that seemed well in hand quickly slipped through NSW hands.
From there it was a downhill ski for the Queenslanders. With Munster, Kalyn Ponga, Harry Grant and Sam Walker all dominating, NSW had to get everything right. Instead, Kotoni Staggs found himself in the sin bin.
A week is a long time in football. The Blues have three to regroup. Based on what just transpired, it may not be long enough.
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