There was a spell right before NSW scored that was like watching RU. NSW had 3 consecutive sets within 10m of the QL line, and nearly every play was a forward trying to crash over from dummy half. They finally threw it out, Hodkinson dropped the shoulder, went through a gap and scored. Origin is a great spectacle but some of the games turn in to one-out battles of physicality with very little to showcase the world class attacking players.

83,421 fans regularly attending rubbish games, they do it all the time in othrr sports namely soccer and Rugby Union. You never hear their fams in meltdown over it.
High profile, top class, sporting event get used to it.
Flashback to last years Challenge Cup final!!!

Awfull dull grind if a game. Neither side wanted to play just grinding each other down. Gals Nsw got the win but not a patch on the first game.

Enjoyed every minute of it, maybe not a classic but cracking guts and all defence.

Gould summed up the first half "the game is getting in the way of them getting at each other". The worlds best attacking players were on display yet you could have been watching siddall v west hull in the old days the amount of grubby play and up the middle ball under the arm play. Opened up a bit in second half but mistakes galore then started. Game one was brilliant, game two rubbish.

Not that it matters, record crowd, record TV audience. Classic example of hype over substance, like rugby union really.

I was more sprawled on the couch than edge of the seat TBH. Too much niggle for my liking although the JT reach-around slap at the PTB that caused Cam Smith to get one was funny! The forearm in the face near the end of the game when he was put on report not so much. Not a classic by any stretch of the imagination. Interesting to see what "Fatty" and the crew make of it on the Footy Show.

The refs let the PTB get so slow that neither side could comfortably get any ball movement. Having said that, NSW's attack is really limited in ability due to inferior halfbacks (Reynolds was dire), whereas Queensland simply underperformed.

As a game it was poor quality, but just like RU internationals the closeness of the game and scale of the event are what made it special. Sadly, Australia will never play as conservatively in attack against England.

I'd add that if England started to indulge in that sort of messing about at every PTB against Australia, you can bet your bottom dollar they'd be penalised off the park. Different rules for origin indeed.