State of Origin Game Two – NSW v Queensland – – NSW 38 Queensland 18. The one-minute match report – giving you the bare minimum State of Origin round up in the bare minimum of time.
The NSW Blues have produced one of the best halves of rugby league seen at Origin level to dominate the second game of the series at the MCG winning 38-18 after leading 34-0 at half time.
It took ten minutes for the Blues to open the scoring through a fired-up Liam Martin, but that was after a relentless five or more minutes of constant pressure on the Queensland line. Then the floodgates opened as NSW turned on the magic to score another five tries to leave a breathless Queensland staring at defeat.
The two wingers Brian To’o and Zac Lomax helped themselves to two tries each between the 17th minute and half time, with the returning Latrell Mitchell scoring as well. Mitchell Moses was the conductor in a lot of the tries, and a lot of it was slick work from NSW, but Queensland made them look very good.
The second half saw Queensland win 18-4, and the Maroons did play better than their first half effort, but the Blues were also up 34-0 and cruising.
Jeremiah Nanai opened the Queensland scoring in the 53rd minute and five minutes later Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow continued his amazing try scoring record at Origin level with another one. A hint of comeback was extinguished in the 61st minute when Dyland Edwards score. Murray Taulagi scored the final try of the night in the 68th minute.
The second half boiled over after referee Ashley Klown lost a little bit of control, he eventually sent a player from each side to the bin after a big melee following a little post-mistake rough housing. The sin bins were harsh, and they could have sent a few more to the sin bins if it were NRL. The did settle down after the big melee. MAybe the sin bins worked.
Overall, it was as dominant performance as you will see from one side, and the Blues have certainly done that on occasion in recent seasons. But can they back it up with a worse record for Game Three and Game Two, and the match is being played in Brisbane. Plus Queensland’s rock solid history of winning the series after winning Game One.
There were so many great performances in State of Origin Game Two but Mitchell Moses would be top of the list. Not far behind were Angus Crichton and Cameron Murray, the Rabbitohs captain playing just one game before Origin selection. Liam Martin was feisty and good, and his Penrith half team mate continued his good run of form.
Brian To’o was also as hard working as ever, much like Dylan Edwards who made up for an error or two with his usual reliability.
For Queensland Tom Dearden impressed with his big efforts all over the ground. It might be unfair to say that no one else played good enough for mention, but it is probably true.
Courtesy of nrl.com
- It’s 9 wins to 6 at neutral venues for NSW over Queensland but it is 7-1 for wins at a neutral ground when it is Game Two.
- It’s 5-1 to NSW at the MCG now.
- NSW lead the H2H 26-18 for Game Two wins.
- NSW lead the H2H 21-7 for Game Two wins for games not in Qld.
- Of NSW’s last nine wins at Origin, six of them have been Game Two.
- NSW have outscored Queensland by 186 – 52 for Game Two since 2019.
- The Blues have also won six of the last seven Game Twos.
- For the 13 times that the State of Origin series has seen Qld win the first game and NSW win the second – the Game Three record is Qld 9 NSW 3 Draw 1.
- 18 points is the sixth most common number of points scored by the losing side (11 times), The most common is six points (21 Times).
