State of Origin {may contain spoilers}

Quote: nantwichexile "Watched it live on 'box' here in Townsville Queensland. I thought it WAS poor ...as far as good controlled ball work and well executed tries are concerned.

ALL the tries bar one (a good 'Wolfman' try...but it hardly made up for his inexcusable under 12 schoolboy inability to hold onto the ball twice in his own 30) were because of mistakes verging from the unfortunate (Hayne's interception from JT's pass) to the downright pathetic (Folau's and Lockyer's walk-ins). The Ingliss try was a result of lazy Blues play...and the second Hayne's try was bad refereeing..Should have been disallowed... but I guess they had to try making it more competitive for the second half.
Further bad refereeing would have put Qld out of sight in the first half (the unbelievably disallowed Harrison try). ..ditto making it a 'more competitive' match.

I am not doubting the intensity of the second half...but I have seen much better controlled and quality play/tries in the Superleague (maybe not quite so much from the rhinos Rolling Eyes )

Although I agree Ingliss would rather adequately solve our (Leeds') centre problems...I don't rate Billy Slater as highly as Gidley, Webby or even Greenshields. Yes..he's great on attack, in broken play...but on the high ball he never instills me with any confidence. Why was he not tested more in this way ? The blues' kicking game was woeful.
JT is a great player but Long is better ...and as for 'evergreens'...don't ever think Morley and Peacock to be past it for quite a number of years yet. How dare the Aussies laugh at us for ageing forwards.
Lockyer was outplayed by Barrett (who should have been sent off)..both were inferior to Pryce (at least when he plays for his club)... and McGuire surely has the talent to be better than any of them if he can learn to stop trying to beat himself all the time with a damn silly run instead of a good kick. Wink

Just sorry I'm missing the Bulls game. Sure it's going to be far more enjoyable.'"

Im sorry but there is no way Long is better than Thurston, hopefully when you re-read your post you will agree.

The officials were poor and I agree with you on the tries that should/shouldn't have been disallowed but I am not sure about Barrett out playing Lockyer(who was average at best), Barrett was missing for large chunks of the game leaving Wallace to single handedly try and direct NSW round the park.

Your comment re Billy Slater are pretty spot on - he is weak under the high ball but his offense is so good that you can't leave him out of any side - I would take him over Webb all day.

As for Leeds/Bradford being a better game, I presume that was meant as a joke.

People on the Rhino board may agree with you of course.