I think JT is just having a bad season by his standards but also didn't I hear in the interviews after the match that his missus is expecting a baby at the weekend? Maybe the reason why if so.

IMO it was the fastest and exciting match I have seen on TV this year. I also prefer watching NRL matches to superleague. The PTB isn't necesary slower, you have to earn the right to win the ruck. In comparison the players over here have to get off quickly or they are penalised.

Hayne was brilliant today.

As mentioned it wasn't up the quality if some origins however it was still intense.

I thought it was pretty average, Qld were terrible. They had no structure, just one out footy apart from the lead up to Boyd's try which was brilliant.

S.O.O are my favourite games of the year, the intensity is immense.

Blues should have won by more than eight, their ball retention was poor, however, I thought the Maroons underestimated N.S.W from the off, probably due to their years of dominance, but they were the better side in the second half.

Looking forwards to game two, but I think Queensland will level it up.

I thought it was fast but not a great or a high quality game. It was kept close by NSW's inability to find the killer blow. I thought the halves on both sides were fairly poor and whilst Gallen, Bird and Lewis were excellent for NSW I thought Queenslands pack were fairly poor.
By SOO standards I thought it was a poor game.

I wasn't impressed at all, Queensland's 5 drives and bomb the young winger tactic would have looked average in Leighs league.
Thurston and Cronk did nothing, I wasn't even impressed with NSW either, they just wern't as bad as Queensland and had a scrum half playing.
Luke Lewis was the most impressive player on the pitch, I said last week on a thread he was the Australia player i'm most frightened of.

People on here seem unaware that Cronk is out of form at Melbourne. He carried his Melbourne form into SoO.

Jonathan Thurston was obviously not fit. He did nothing the whole game. He should not have played and could have been replaced by Daly Cherry-Evans or Scott Prince.

With both halves incapable of playing to their ability, it is no wonder that Inglis got little opportunity and that NSW won.

Nate Myles putting Bailey to shame for sh*thouse-ry, deseved his smack in the face.

Call me easily pleased but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The intensity and collision was way above any of SL's biggest games regardless of any lack of quality some people are suggesting.

I do think NSW missed a trick in not putting the game to bed with such a tight score line but what a great game.

Ive gotta say also for all its budget red computer graphics Premier Sports showing the full Channel 9 coverage is much better than Skys efforts watching Brian Carney stutter is way through the build up. And how good is the coverage in Oz with all the ex-players.

Cant wait for game 2!

Completely agree with all of this! Although the game wasn't cram packed with flair rugby, the level of intensity and the speed of which the attacking players hit the defensive line is what makes SOO the sports highest standard.

As for the coverage - first class - they really do know how to build it up and add to the spectacle. Excellent pre-game build up, insightful and energetic commentary (including actually calling what's happening on the field - rather than just giving their opinion on what should/shouldn't be happening), and then great use of ex-players for a bit of punditry.

Sky could learn alot from it. In game, We need people who actually talk the viewer through what's happening on the pitch, and then use an ex player/coach to break down the details on how gaps were created, how the structures being used are affecting attack and defence. Stevo and Eddie spend too much time giving their opinions and fawning over their flavour of the month (either a team or a certain player) rather than just calling the facts.

it was a very poor game and I agree that there is a lot "let go" by the refs in Origin...facials, head high's etc....and how in gods name NSW didn't find themselves down to 12 for a minimum of 10 minutes will remain a mystery.....Gallen was a very lucky man.

Queensland can't possibly play worse than that in this series...NSW need to kill this off in Brisbane, because if the lose game 2, I can't see them winning game 3

Thought Maloney was outstanding.

Agree with all that. Especially re Gallen.
I was very disappointed in Queensland, not only didnt they play well but there was no fight in them. At one point Slater got unnecessarily slammed to the ground and all that happened was a bit of pushing. In Queensland's pomp the entire Queensland pack would have been flying in. I think it was Wally Lewis on the commentary said at one point that Queensland needed to start a fight, he was right.

It wasnt the best Origin i've seen like many have said.

Queensland were just about average with ball in hand, their forwards were as useful as Saints pack. Thurston was obviously unwell or injured and Cronk is just a little out the groove. Slater was very quiet apart from his line break and didnt really chime into the line at all. They just seemed to lack organisation, Cameron more than once had to double pump and almost encourage runners. Hodges got himself into the game at the end and Greg Inglis was all but anonymous apart from his pass.

NSW were impressive i thought, i questioned whether they'd be able to keep the pace up throughout the game and granted the last 10 were a little they never really looked out of control. Gallen was very lucky to stay on the field, Lewis was by far the best player in the game and Maloney and Ferguson were solid on their debuts! Hayne seemed to love the freedom he was getting and Jennings didnt do too badly either.
Big hand to Laurie Daly for getting the passion back into them though, not bad for a first Origin coaching game!

My favourite line was from Klein. "We wont tolerate what you've just done" before doing nothing about it. Classic Klein!

As regard to winding Gallen up, i think some England boys would go well, i cant imagine Jammer, (insert first name) Burgess and some having a good go!

Roll on June 26th!

Very poor game.

But like people say about Union over here, it's an event with the on-field product not really too important.

People complaining about the Reffing?

For me that's how it should be, let the niggles go, couple of punches to man able to defend himself, word in his ear don't do it again, great stuff for me.

I think the game is being over sanitised, let the men get on with the game and the mard booties in the crowd stop moaning.

This is . I reckon our pack with Sam Burgess, George Burgess and James Graham will dominate the Aussies.

Big Sam has thrown a few whilst over here and we all know if Graham gets abit peckish mid game he isn't beyond having a ear nibble to keep himself nourished!

I don;t see any mongrel in George yet but that might just be his youth

I'd agree to an extent, although I wouldn't go as far as saying dominate. My point is that if they stick to playing good, hard and fast rugby, then the pack will lay a platform - if we alter our game to try fight/bully/intimidate because of their spoiling/bullying tactics, then we're playing into their hands and will come out 2nd best.

Great game. Most intense game of the year so far.

England has always had better fighters and Boxers than Australia.
Some one should take Gallen and his Mates on.

Queensland have won the last 7 origin series

By 1990, Australia had won the last 7 ashes series and our Australian friends were suggesting that the kangaroos would throw the first game in order to make the series interesting up game to 3 which the aussies would then could back and win 2-1

Now that the State of Origin is as predictable as the Ashes results were in the 70’s and 80’s, Queensland are perhaps throwing the odd game to keep it interesting?

Or maybe the law of averages means that these runs will probably happen but don't last forever (without some extreme discrepancy between the two player bases to select from)...