Latest news with #LangPark
ABC News
29-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
How New South Wales supersub Connor Watson learned to become a State of Origin matchwinner
Connor Watson still isn't quite sure of how the pass happened, he's just glad that it did. The New South Wales utility put his stamp on another Origin as he latched onto a Zac Lomax pass close to the line, twisted his way through four Queensland defenders to pop a miracle ball up for Dylan Edwards to score the try that wrapped up Game I for the Blues on Wednesday night. It was a great show of skill and desire, albeit one Watson didn't get to see finished given he was trapped under a pile of Maroons defenders as Edwards crashed over but the noise was unmistakable. "When I threw that ball I didn't know what was going to happen and then I heard everyone cheering — far out, no way that just came off," Watson said. "It was a bit of a fluke — Lowy (Zac Lomax) got me the ball, the line was so close even though I knew I wouldn't get there myself. "I just tried to throw it up and Dyl, being a great fullback, was in support got it across the line." It's the second Lang Park match in a row where Watson has come on fresh in the final stages of the match with the game in the balance and come up with a key play to steer the Blues home. In last year's decider, when he also came on with 15 to go and the match in the balance, he dribbled an offload to Jarome Luai deep in his own half that gave the New South Wales five-eighth the space to take on the Queensland defence, slice through and find Bradman Best for the breakout try of the game. Watson's versatility opened the door for him to become part of the New South Wales side but through three games it's his impact late in matches that's come to the fore. In 30 minutes of game time combined across his last two matches, the Roosters hooker has made more of an impact than some players do in their Origin careers. It isn't easy to sit on the bench for over an hour and wait for your number to be called. It takes a lot of patience, both to ride it out and to not be too frantic when you come on in an effort to make the most of it. The latter was something Watson struggled with in the early stages of his career but has now mastered, especially for New South Wales. Like all good bench matchwinners, Watson understands that 15 minutes can be more than enough time to find a winning play. "Early in my career, and I had this conversation with some of the younger guys at the Roosters this year, I'd chase it almost too much because when you get little time you want to make as much of an impact as possible," Watson said. "But bring energy, putting yourself in different positions and those opportunities will come, you don't need to force them. "When I was young I'd go on and try to go crazy, but you can burn out doing that. "Coming on with 15 minutes to go is still plenty of time to make an impact, you just have to trust that opportunity will come. "I was itching to get out there and it can take a while but it's worth the wait. "I focus on my defence and in attack I just push, do that and things will be alright." After winning their first Lang Park decider in 30 years last series, making further history of their own was a focus for Laurie Daley's side in the lead up to Game I. They've now won back-to-back games at Lang Park for the first time in over a quarter-century and a win in Perth in three weeks' time would be their fourth consecutive victory and give the state it's longest winning streak since 1996-97. With Watson and his cohorts getting more and more acclimatised to the Origin furnace, it would take a brave punter to back against them doing so. "Every Origin game I've played the physicality and the intensity of the contact stands out, that's what separates it from the NRL," Watson said. "The ruck is a bit slower but the speed of the ball moving is higher, defences and attack moves faster. The more you play it, the more you understand what it's like. "It's great to get a win up here, but there's still two games to go yet."
ABC News
28-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
State of Origin five quick hits: Brian To'o's controversial sin bin, Jeremiah Nanai's huge tackle, and woeful kicking from Maroons and Blues stars
NSW replicated last year's heroics with another win over Queensland at Lang Park. The State of Origin opener had physicality, scuffles, drama and an unusually poor kicking display. Here are the five quick hits from an action packed Game One at Lang Park. Much like last year's match at Lang Park, points were at a premium in the first half. An early penalty goal from Nathan Cleary registered the only points on the board in the first 25 minutes of an Origin played at lightning speed. The defence from both Queensland and NSW was at a high level, and it needed a superstar to produce something special for the opening try. That superstar was NSW five-eighth Mitchell Moses. The star half of the Blues' series triumph last year produced the linebreak to set up the first four-pointer. Taking advantage of a staggered Queensland defensive line on the left flank, Moses put on a big sidestep and sliced through a gap. Only a desperate dive from Maroons' prop Moeaki Fotuaika stopped Moses from streaking away. But the damage was done. Cleary decided to run the ball on the final tackle, throwing the ball to Payne Haas, who in turn got an offload away that allowed the Blues to spin the ball to the open right flank. Outmanned and outgunned, Queensland could do nothing to stop the ball getting to winger Zac Lomax, who crossed over for the first try. On the spiritual turf of Queensland rugby league, the Blues dominated the first half, but Queensland got a desperately needed shot in the arm in the final 40 seconds. A Kalyn Ponga bomb was dropped by NSW winger Brian To'o, giving the Maroons a handful of plays to score. With the siren moments from sounding, Daly Cherry-Evans put up a high kick to the wing of To'o, with the much taller Queensland winger Xavier Coates chasing. Coates launched into the air but To'o, who was giving up several inches in height, grabbed the Maroons' flyer in the air and denied him a chance of catching the ball. Queensland pleaded for a penalty try to be awarded, but the incident took place before Coates got his hands on the ball, ruling out the chance of Queensland being awarded a certain six points. To'o was sent up the tunnel early, and left NSW with the task of playing the first 10 minutes of the second half with 12 men. But not everyone was convinced it was a professional foul, or even a penalty. Phil Gould, the former NSW coach, voiced his strong opposition to the decision. "I think it's a ridiculous exaggeration of the mid-air tackle rule," he said. "They're in the in-goal. They're fighting for the ball in possession. "I think that's a ridiculous interpretation of the rule. "And it's not a sin bin in an Origin match." What is Origin without drama? Down to 12 men, NSW defended stoutly in the opening exchanges of the second half. After a gang-tackle forced Valentine Holmes over the touchline, NSW thought they could breathe a sigh of relief. But Queensland second-rower Jeremiah Nanai had other ideas. NSW gave the responsibility of the first hit-up off their line to Latrell Mitchell, but Nanai flew in like a missile, hitting Mitchell in the rib cage and forcing the ball loose. The ball popped up into the arms of Cherry-Evans, who immediately threw the ball to debutant Robert Toia, who then got a flick pass to Coates. The Maroons' winger pinned his ears back, grounded the ball in the right corner, and brought Queensland back into the contest. Tight State of Origin matches are won on moments of brilliance. With a 14-6 lead, NSW had repelled multiple Queensland attacking raids. When it was time for the knockout blow, Connor Watson produced the moment that won the match. Clearly kicked for Lomax who leapt high, caught the ball and got the offload away. Watson, with the ball in his hands, ducked his head and went for the line. There were four Maroons there to stop him, but Watson never gave up on the play. He wrestled, and fought, and somehow got his arms free to get an offload to Dylan Edwards. Edwards grounded the ball to secure the win, and gave NSW a 1-0 series lead. For a match that showcased some of the very best in the game of rugby league, goal kicking was not an attribute on show. Cleary and Holmes kicked a penalty goal each, but none of the five tries scored were converted. Cleary, who has an NRL career goal kicking success rate of 84.42 per cent, never looked like making any of his kicks. It got so bad for the four-time premiership winner that he gave Zac Lomax a turn in the second half. Lomax could not do much better, as his one chance never threatened the post. Cleary also had a field goal attempt late, which also went wide of the uprights. "Queensland's lucky two of the best of all-time have had a shocker," ABC Sport caller Andrew Moore said. In the end, it was poor goal kicking that kept the score flattering for the Maroons.
ABC News
28-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Live updates: State of Origin I, Queensland Maroons vs NSW Blues in Brisbane
Queensland and New South Wales renew hostilities at Lang Park in State of Origin game one of this year's State of Origin series. Follow all the updates in our live blog, keep up to date with all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
When is State of Origin Game I? Here's what you need to know ahead of kick-off between the Blues and Maroons
Rugby league's fiercest rivalry will return to the field this week with the men's State of Origin series kicking off in Brisbane on Wednesday. This year, the Blues are hoping the return of coach Laurie Daley will lead them to a second-straight win after their 2024 coach Michael Maguire was poached by the Brisbane Broncos. In the Maroon corner, coach Billy Slater is hoping to add another win to his record. Game I will be held on Wednesday, May 28. Here's the exact time the game will start in each time zone: Game I will be played at Lang Park in Brisbane. The Maroons have won 39 of the 61 games played at the venue, while the Blues have won 21. One game ended in a draw. The State of Origin matches are broadcast free-to-air on Channel Nine and will also stream on 9Now. You can listen to coverage of the match on ABC Radio via the ABC listen app. ABC Sport will live blog the match on the ABC News website. The official squads for Game I were announced early last week. Queensland will be without several star players, including Ben Hunt, Reece Walsh and Selwyn Cobbo, due to injury. The growing injury list for the Maroons opened the door for to offer opportunities for debutants Robert Toia, Beau Fermor and Trent Loiero. The Blues weren't without their own injury troubles — Payne Haas was named in the starting side, but his position was tenuous due to a quad complaint. Perhaps the headline story for New South Wales, however, is that coach Daley has opted to tackle a different kind of challenge this year, naming both Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses in the squad. While both are proven lead Origin playmakers, pundits have questioned whether the two dominant halves will find a way to fit together. While there's one game still to play, the New South Wales side has already claimed the series. Here are the results from the first two games: The third match will be played in Newcastle on Thursday, May 29 at 7:45pm AEST.
ABC News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
No matter what happens in his Origin debut, history beckons for rookie maroon Robert Toia
There have been plenty of bolters in State of Origin's 45-year history, but in some respects newly minted Queensland centre Robert Toia already stands alone. With just 10 NRL games under his belt as he prepares for his Maroon debut on Wednesday night, you have to dig deep into the annals of Origin history to find anything like the 20-year old Rooster. Since the Broncos entered the NSWRL in 1988 and Queensland no longer selected players straight from the Brisbane premiership, only two players have made their first grade and Origin debuts in the same year. Both of them — Willie Carne in 1990 (six games) and Ben Ikin in 1995 (four games) — came off the bench when they became the two-least experienced Origin players of all time. It was the same for New South Wales forward Payne Haas in 2019 (10 games) when he set the NRL-era record. When Toia hits the Lang Park turf he will break Jim Leis's record as the least-experienced starting player in Origin history. It's currently shared by Trent Barrett, who debuted at five-eighth for the Blues in the third game of the 1997 series when there were no Super League players selected, and Jim Leis, who played lock for New South Wales in the first ever Origin match back in 1980. It's a measure of how dramatic Toia's ascension really is that we must look to split competitions and the very dawn of these times for anything similar. An Origin debut under those circumstances would take something exceptional no matter what, let alone with Toia likely being asked to handle Latrell Mitchell and the rest of the New South Wales left edge. According to Brent Tate, who currently shares the record for fewest matches before a Queensland debut in the NRL era — another record Toia will break in Origin I — the challenge shouldn't intimidate the young Rooster but inspire him. "I heard Billy (Slater) say during the week that Queensland chooses you and that's a great analogy," Tate said. "He's in the team for a reason. Billy and the state believe in him and he's got a huge task, marking Latrell, but it's not something he should be worried or afraid of — he should be up for the challenge in his own mind, 'how is Latrell going to contain me?' "That's the aggressive mindset you have to play with, you have to play tough. "Enjoy every minute of it but know that when Wednesday comes around you have to be big, you have to be aggressive, you have to play your best game of footy." Tate had played just 14 NRL matches when he was picked for the 2002 decider, playing the final 25 minutes at centre as Queensland secured a draw to retain the shield. He says now that he was too young to truly grasp what was happening, which means he was too young to be afraid and, like Toia, initially thought the call telling him he'd be a maroon was a gee up from a teammate. "If you've ever been in a footy club you know it's a tough school, you wouldn't put it past the boys doing that. But when you've played a handful of games it can be surreal, so you do wonder. It's a call you never forget," Tate said. "My whole first week was all about excitement, I wasn't nervous at all. It wasn't until I ran out there that I realised the enormity of it all and it was an out-of-body experience. "I took my position and looked down to see I was wearing the maroon kit, I looked up and saw the blue jerseys and that's when it hit me — holy shit, I'm playing State of Origin football. "It happens so fast you're almost too naïve to understand the enormity of it. You ride the wave of emotion and enjoy every second of it, that's how it was for me." To some, Toia has seemed like an Origin prospect for some time, even accounting for this very early start. Roosters teammate Connor Watson, who will come off the bench for New South Wales on Wednesday, remembers when Toia first showed up at the Tricolours as a 17-year old to train with the top squad. "He was setting up and scoring tries against the first-grade squad, so straight away you could tell he was going to be a freak," Watson said. "He probably didn't think getting picked in Origin would happen this quickly for him but you could always see the talent, he always felt like he would be an Origin player. "To do it after 10 games, it shows how special a talent he is." Toia's 10 games with the Roosters have been impressive while also being sprinkled with moments of inexperience you'd expect from any player just beginning his time in first grade. Two weeks ago, Toia scored a powerful double against the Dolphins at Magic Round and set a new season high for run metres. It showed the best of him — his speed, his power and his strength. In his next game, he dropped the ball while trying to put it down against Canterbury without a defender in sight. Which showed that he is still young, still learning, still finding his way. Teething problems take time to pass. Consistency at the top level is a skill that can only be learned through experience and even for his age Toia hasn't had the same time to do it as most. A series of knee injuries and a broken jaw mean he had played just 12 games in the past two seasons before 2025. Even so, he's played more NSW Cup games than he has NRL games. It might have cost Toia valuable time to settle into the NRL ahead of what will be the biggest night of his life, but Watson — no stranger to injury himself — believes it's given Toia a greater maturity and perspective. "You don't take things for granted as much. That was part of my mentality of enjoying the experience because when you're away from the game it can really test your love for the game," Watson said. "You have time to reflect, and Rob's had those two ACL's, so when he's come back he's really enjoyed his training. He's been really diligent. "That's really come through in the thing that's impressed me so much this year, which is his attitude and mentality in defence. "He's put that first and he's wanted to do a good job defensively and he has done that." That defensive aptitude will be put to the ultimate test on Wednesday night. Mitchell and the rest of the NSW left edge would feature heavily in Laurie Daley's game plan regardless of who was opposite them, but given Toia's inexperience he will no doubt be targeted. Even if there are many more Queensland nights to come, this might be the greatest challenge he ever faces. Never again will he be asked to confront such an unknown and nobody in the history of State of Origin football has been asked to do such a big job with such little experience. If things backfire it might be as a footnote, a factoid for the trainspotters to pull out at a trivia night — the rookie who got cast into the Origin fires with so few NRL appearances you can count them on your fingers. But it could also be as the newest piece of the story Queensland tells itself over and over, the one that starts with an unheralded maroon becoming more than he ever thought he could be when his state needed him. Ten games is not a long time to learn how to be a hero, but 80 minutes of Origin football can be enough to become one.
