I've seen this movie before – it's a slasher flick and the Blues are the victim
NSW risk being the man standing on a street corner, watching a giant truck hurtle towards him, yet can't hop out of the way in time to stop the vehicle from flattening him.
How many times has the Sydney media ridiculed the Maroons' chances of winning a State of Origin series, including describing the 2020 team as 'the worst ever Queensland team', only for them to roll the Blues?
As former Maroons player and coach, Kevvy Walters, says ahead to the second game in Perth, following NSW's triumph in the opening match in Brisbane, 'Beware the wounded Queenslander.'
Walters insists the sacking of Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans and the so-called abandonment of the northern state's time-honoured 'pick and stick' philosophy will have little impact on Billy Slater's team.
He cites the earlier sacking of captain Trevor Gillmeister following the first game in 1996, after the tough forward led the Maroons to an unexpected clean sweep the previous year, trading off the Queensland underdog psyche of being underrated and overlooked.
'It didn't rock us,' said Walters who was a member of the 1996 team, captained by Allan 'Alf' Langer.
'We were disappointed for 'Gilly' but he was replaced by one of the greats as captain. The Queensland players will still love DCE.
'The show goes on and goes on pretty quickly.'
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News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Staggering ‘rat' claim made over DCE's Queensland Game 2 axing
Brandon Smith has claimed a 'rat' in the Queensland ranks leaked the news of captain Daly Cherry-Evans' axing from the Maroons team for Game 2. News Corp reporter Brent Read broke the news Cherry-Evans would be dumped over a week before the Maroons' team was announced. James Graham was surprised that Read reported the story that far in advance of the team being named. 'What's noticeable about this is pretty much straight after Origin 1 it was being widely reported that DCE was gone,' Graham said on his podcast, The Bye Round. 'Brent Read was adamant that he was gone. The fact that Brent Read was reporting it … he's got that information from someone that's very heavily connected to Queensland. 'The fact this was coming out of Queensland camp raises alarm bells. It's un-Queensland-like.' Smith, who appears on the podcast with Graham, went a step further. 'There's a rat in the house, you reckon?' Smith said. 'It's sad but it is what it is. What can you do about it? 'There is a rat.' Cherry-Evans will be replaced by Tom Dearden at halfback for Game 2 in Perth on Wednesday night, with Cameron Munster taking over the captaincy. Elsewhere, Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz has been called into Blues camp after Brian To'o tweaked his hamstring at training. To'o is still expected to play in Game 2 in Perth next Wednesday night. Kiraz enjoyed a breakout season last year and was on the cusp of being picked in the Game 1 squad before a calf injury struck. The 23-year-old is the fifth Bulldogs player called into Origin camp and will join Stephen Crichton, Max King and Matt Burton, while Kurt Mann is set to make his Maroons debut. Panthers star To'o has endured two hamstring injuries this year and pulled up sore after beating the Wests Tigers on Sunday. Blues medical staff are confident him missing Thursday's opposed session is precautionary and that he will fly with the team on Sunday and run out next week.
7NEWS
4 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Knife twisted as Daly Cherry-Evans' ‘tough' week gets even worse as Manly go down to Gold Coast
Gold Coast captain Kieran Foran has outplayed his former Manly halves partner Daly Cherry-Evans to inspire one of the best Titans victories of all-time. The 28-8 NRL win at Robina on Friday night was a hammer blow to the Sea Eagles, but even worse was the loss of star back-rower Haumole Olakau'atu with a dislocated right shoulder. Manly choked, as they had done in their previous four away games when favourites against lowly-ranked opponents. Gold Coast were decimated with 11 players unavailable, nine with injury and two in State of Origin camps. 'I needed a big one tonight. I returned from injury and have been a bit quiet,' Foran said. 'I'm just happy we got the win. Personally, I stepped it up a notch. 'I'm extremely proud. We started well and I thought we threw the ball around really nicely in the first half. 'We were able to capitalise with a few tries. I'm even more proud of the second half.' Manly had no Origin representatives for the first time since 2015. The expectation before the match was that Sea Eagles skipper Cherry-Evans would respond to his Queensland axing and lead his side to victory, particularly with star fullback Tom Trbojevic back in the side from injury. It didn't pan out that way. Cherry-Evans, apart from one try assist, was underwhelming. He was philosophical rather than bitter about his Origin axing after 26 games and 19 as captain of the Maroons. 'The start of the week was tough,' Cherry-Evans said. 'On Sunday, I got the news and on Monday I had to go to training and face the boys. 'After that it honestly started to feel normal. 'The initial news was tough but I moved on and thought we were going to come here and play some good footy. Based on our preparation, it looked like all the signs were there. 'Unfortunately, the most important part of the week is showing up on game day and we didn't do that.' Titans second-rower Beau Fermor, also dropped by the Maroons for game two, sent a strong message to coach Billy Slater that he got it all wrong. Fermor had a blinder, saving a try with a last ditched effort to stop Olakau'atu from scoring in a play where he was also injured. Gold Coast stunned the visitors to lead 22-8 at halftime. Manly centre Reuben Garrick crashed over early in his 150th game and added a second during the half, but the opening 40 minutes belonged to Foran. The 34-year-old 2011 premiership winner wound back the clock and sent flying winger Allan Fitzgibbon over with a stellar cutout pass. Foran and former Manly gun Brian Kelly sent speed demon Alofiana Khan-Pereira in for his 50th try in his 52nd match, the equal-quickest to the milestone in the NRL era. Khan-Pereira was in again for his second after beating five Manly defenders. When Titans fullback AJ Brimson carved through the defence to send half Jayden Campbell in under the sticks Manly were looking like a rabble. Brimson has destroyed Manly in the past and he did so again in a brilliant display. Train and trial second-rower Josh Patston made his NRL debut off the bench for the hosts while development list prop Tukimihia Simpkins, formerly with Wests Tigers, was on club debut. Titans back-rower Chris Randall iced the win with a second-half try on the back of a monumental defensive effort.
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6 hours ago
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Where there's a Will there's a way to Super Rugby final
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We just managed to hold out," said All Blacks fullback Jordan. "We knew the Blues weren't going to come down here and give it to us easy. "It's finals footy, you find yourself in a bit of adversity and that's where you just try to take a step forward and embrace it." The Blues, who had just scraped into the play-offs, made it clear they would be looking to play an expansive game from the third minute when Beauden Barrett fired a crosskick over to Caleb Clarke on the left wing. The Crusaders snuffed out the danger that time, but the visitors soon silenced the crowd when a raking AJ Ram kick resulted in a five-metre scrum and winger Mark Tele'a dived over in the corner for the opening try. The home side were reduced to 14 men when Braydon Ennor was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle, and centre Rieko Ioane went over under the posts to double the lead with a second try for the Blues. The Crusaders cut the deficit soon after being returned to a full complement when open-side flanker Christie forced his way over from close range after several of his teammates had been repelled. Blues prop Joshua Fusitu'a was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on All Blacks captain Scott Barrett three minutes later, and the crowd was back to full voice just before the break when Jordan crossed for a converted try to level the scores. The Blues spurned a straight-forward shot at goal from a 51st-minute penalty, before knocking on from the tap and being pinged by the referee at the resultant scrum. The Crusaders then laid siege to the Blues' line, turning down several potential shots at goal in favour of kicks to touch, before Jordan played tight forward to finally force the ball over the line with 10 minutes left. Flyhalf Rivez Reihana slotted his third conversion to take the lead out to 21-14, and the visitors' woes deepened when number eight Hoskins Sotutu was sent to the sin bin minutes later, leaving them shorthanded for their late charge. "Very tough," said Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu. "We started very well, we were able to play our game, then sort of let them back in and they were able to capitalise. "We showed a lot of courage in that last eight minutes, but it just wasn't enough today." Will Jordan scored two tries as the Canterbury Crusaders recovered from an early deficit to edge reigning champions the Auckland Blues 21-14 to reach a 17th Super Rugby final. In an intense clash at Christchurch Stadium on Friday, the Blues hammered away at the home try-line for more than six minutes after the hooter looking for a converted try to force overtime, but came away empty-handed as the Crusaders' defence held firm and kept them on track for a 13th title. A try from Tom Christie set the Crusaders on their way as they fought back from 14-0 down in the 21st minute to guarantee a return to their home fortress next week to face the ACT Brumbies or the Waikato Chiefs. Neither the Chiefs nor Brumbies, who meet in the second semi-final on Saturday, will relish a trip to Christchurch, where the Crusaders are unbeaten in 31 play-off matches over the three decades of Super Rugby. "The Blues seriously hit us. Hell of a side. They were the champions and showed that tonight. We just managed to hold out," said All Blacks fullback Jordan. "We knew the Blues weren't going to come down here and give it to us easy. "It's finals footy, you find yourself in a bit of adversity and that's where you just try to take a step forward and embrace it." The Blues, who had just scraped into the play-offs, made it clear they would be looking to play an expansive game from the third minute when Beauden Barrett fired a crosskick over to Caleb Clarke on the left wing. The Crusaders snuffed out the danger that time, but the visitors soon silenced the crowd when a raking AJ Ram kick resulted in a five-metre scrum and winger Mark Tele'a dived over in the corner for the opening try. The home side were reduced to 14 men when Braydon Ennor was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle, and centre Rieko Ioane went over under the posts to double the lead with a second try for the Blues. The Crusaders cut the deficit soon after being returned to a full complement when open-side flanker Christie forced his way over from close range after several of his teammates had been repelled. Blues prop Joshua Fusitu'a was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on All Blacks captain Scott Barrett three minutes later, and the crowd was back to full voice just before the break when Jordan crossed for a converted try to level the scores. The Blues spurned a straight-forward shot at goal from a 51st-minute penalty, before knocking on from the tap and being pinged by the referee at the resultant scrum. The Crusaders then laid siege to the Blues' line, turning down several potential shots at goal in favour of kicks to touch, before Jordan played tight forward to finally force the ball over the line with 10 minutes left. Flyhalf Rivez Reihana slotted his third conversion to take the lead out to 21-14, and the visitors' woes deepened when number eight Hoskins Sotutu was sent to the sin bin minutes later, leaving them shorthanded for their late charge. "Very tough," said Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu. "We started very well, we were able to play our game, then sort of let them back in and they were able to capitalise. "We showed a lot of courage in that last eight minutes, but it just wasn't enough today." Will Jordan scored two tries as the Canterbury Crusaders recovered from an early deficit to edge reigning champions the Auckland Blues 21-14 to reach a 17th Super Rugby final. In an intense clash at Christchurch Stadium on Friday, the Blues hammered away at the home try-line for more than six minutes after the hooter looking for a converted try to force overtime, but came away empty-handed as the Crusaders' defence held firm and kept them on track for a 13th title. A try from Tom Christie set the Crusaders on their way as they fought back from 14-0 down in the 21st minute to guarantee a return to their home fortress next week to face the ACT Brumbies or the Waikato Chiefs. Neither the Chiefs nor Brumbies, who meet in the second semi-final on Saturday, will relish a trip to Christchurch, where the Crusaders are unbeaten in 31 play-off matches over the three decades of Super Rugby. "The Blues seriously hit us. Hell of a side. They were the champions and showed that tonight. We just managed to hold out," said All Blacks fullback Jordan. "We knew the Blues weren't going to come down here and give it to us easy. "It's finals footy, you find yourself in a bit of adversity and that's where you just try to take a step forward and embrace it." The Blues, who had just scraped into the play-offs, made it clear they would be looking to play an expansive game from the third minute when Beauden Barrett fired a crosskick over to Caleb Clarke on the left wing. The Crusaders snuffed out the danger that time, but the visitors soon silenced the crowd when a raking AJ Ram kick resulted in a five-metre scrum and winger Mark Tele'a dived over in the corner for the opening try. The home side were reduced to 14 men when Braydon Ennor was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle, and centre Rieko Ioane went over under the posts to double the lead with a second try for the Blues. The Crusaders cut the deficit soon after being returned to a full complement when open-side flanker Christie forced his way over from close range after several of his teammates had been repelled. Blues prop Joshua Fusitu'a was sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on All Blacks captain Scott Barrett three minutes later, and the crowd was back to full voice just before the break when Jordan crossed for a converted try to level the scores. The Blues spurned a straight-forward shot at goal from a 51st-minute penalty, before knocking on from the tap and being pinged by the referee at the resultant scrum. The Crusaders then laid siege to the Blues' line, turning down several potential shots at goal in favour of kicks to touch, before Jordan played tight forward to finally force the ball over the line with 10 minutes left. Flyhalf Rivez Reihana slotted his third conversion to take the lead out to 21-14, and the visitors' woes deepened when number eight Hoskins Sotutu was sent to the sin bin minutes later, leaving them shorthanded for their late charge. "Very tough," said Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu. "We started very well, we were able to play our game, then sort of let them back in and they were able to capitalise. "We showed a lot of courage in that last eight minutes, but it just wasn't enough today."
