Fantastic game, I think the loss of Cronk was a big blow for the Maroons, however they threw everything at the Blues in the 2nd half.

Without a doubt SOO are my favourite games of the season.

Roll on Game 2.

To say the least. The Sky divs would've had a field day

What game ! Those last 25 minutes were breath-taking and that was just watching !

I always barrack for Queensland because they have such an unquenchable spirit, never throw in the towel no matter what theodds. But it's not such a bad thing for NSW to finally win one with a chance of a first series win since 2005.

The only negative was the sight of Bob bloody Fulton in the Blues' coaching box - the very man who disparaged Origin and said it was all a 'waste of time' and 'would never work' back in 1980. Hypocrite.

Queensland lost that game in the halves. First tactical kicking maestro Cooper Cronk was forced off with a broken arm. Second, Johnathan Thurston played probably the worst game of his career. Josh Reynolds played very well. However Hodkinson didn't.

Jarryd Hayne was at his brilliant best and a worthy Man of the Match.

JT will not play that badly again. The Maroons will be pumped up for revenge in the next game.

The Blues will be foolish not to find a place for currently suspended Greg Bird, the former Catalans captain, who is a tremendous SoO performer.

I expect Queensland will win in Sydney and then win the series.

I reckon that 3 of the tries would have been disallowed under the obstruction video ref rules in Super League.

Also Queensland have sam thaiday to come back as well which will add some more strength and sixe to their forward pack.

I don't think they would, because the dummy runners ran through a gap in the defensive line and so didn't actually obstruct any defenders. Unlike what often happens in SL where lazy dummy runners just run at the line regardless of where the gaps are and don't run all the way through.

TV ratings for SoO were amazing. 4.053 million viewers tuned in around Australia. That means one in five Australians were watching. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... zrrtv.html This is amazing when you consider that the game is popular mostly in only half of the nation. (yet 420,000 people watched in Melbourne, which is more than one in ten people in Melbourne!). Translate that to the British population, it would mean that 11 million Brits were watching. Rugby league can only dream of such attention. But has a British soccer game ever achieved 11 million viewers?

TV ratings for SoO were amazing. 4.053 million viewers tuned in around Australia. That means one in five Australians were watching. www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... zrrtv.html This is amazing when you consider that the game is popular mostly in only half of the nation. (yet 420,000 people watched in Melbourne, which is more than one in ten people in Melbourne!). Translate that to the British population, it would mean that 11 million Brits were watching. Rugby league can only dream of such attention. But has a British soccer game ever achieved 11 million viewers?

Quote: JEAN CAPDOUZE "But has a British soccer game ever achieved 11 million viewers?'" Yes talksport.com/magazine/features/ ... 172675?p=1

Quote: JEAN CAPDOUZE "But has a British soccer game ever achieved 11 million viewers?'" Yes talksport.com/magazine/features/ ... 172675?p=1

Great game.
Backed NSW half time, Qland full time and still wondering how I didn't collect.

Did make me nearly vomit a bit when they ran through the teams pre-match with a comment on each player.

So and so was raised by a single mother who used to drive the team bus to all games.
So and so helps little old ladies across the road.
So and so does lots and lots of work for animal charidies.

Etc, etc.

Or where defensive players move into that gap because of a poor defensive read and throw themselves to the floor.

For some reason we then need to look at whether the ball was caught on the outside of the passers shoulder.

Booked 18th June and 9th July off work, be headin for Walkabout in Glasgow.
C'MON BLUES!!!