What a game of Origin football! QLD have hung on... somehow... somewhere
EDWARDS SPILLS IT
NSW will get one final play - maybe two.
One scrum to feed and one set with the ball.
UNSUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE.
Haas has lost it!
SIX TO GO! NSW HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE
HERE WE GO!
Challenge time from the Maroons is UNSUCCESSFUL!
PONGA LOSES IT - BUT HANG ON!
The Gambler playing over Optus Stadium - sums up QLD's play tonight.
Ball was touched by Xavier Coates.
They needed that set the Maroons.
QLD just need to play possession football and complete a damn set!
Here we go!
Lomax gets it!
WHAT IS HAPPENING AT OPTUS STADIUM! QLD were waiting for the Blues to score with a plethora of errors in their own end. A major play by Mitchell (a one-on-one strip) gave the NSW side a chance. An early grubber from Luai sat up perfectly for Angus Crichton and the Blues set up a grandstand finish!
SIX AGAIN NSW: Ruck infringement
ONE-ON-ONE STRIP NSW: TRELL ! Big play
NSW persisted with the short side... that is horrific from the Blues.
Edwards kicks on tackle two and it's played at so it is a fresh set.
SIX MORE NSW: Ruck infringement.
Toia has put it down and the Maroons are imploding.
Forward pass to Capewell - QLD needed to get a set end and they didn't get it done!
Hudson Young spills it and that might be the turning point!
Lomax moves in and hooks it wide right...
The Maroons committed the cardinal sin. They were defending their lead, a critical mistake from Tabuai-Fidow gave the Blues possession and it was the NSW lethal left edge that caught the QLD side wanting. Quick hands from Mitchell to To'o and the winger powered over the top of Toia to score.
SIX AGAIN BLUES: Ruck infringement
Oh no... HAMMER TIME WITH A HAMMER BAD MOMENT
Toia with a great kick into the in-goal and the Blues fullback somehow stays into the field of play.
Connor Watson comes into the game.
VAL CRUNCHES CLEARY!
Haas off the back fence!
Two possession game with 21:42 to go.
NSW were starting to get the acendency and the Maroons were up against it. NSW got it back to within two converted tries through there impact man Stephen Crichton, who got on the outside of Valentine Holmes to get the Blues back into it.
Cleary kicks over the top and that will be a goal line dropout.
CHALLENGE NSW: they are saying tackle in the air - CHALLENGE SUCCESSFUL
Klein looked to miss a double knock on for mine.
PENALTY QLD: High tackle.
Great catch from the Hammer.
Munster's kick was horrible! Might top Cleary for worst kick of the game.
QLD PENALTY: Ruck interference - there looked to be a knock on by Tino. Dylan Edwards calls it best "that's a bad call sir"
QLD get six more.
Cleary's kick goes out on the full
Nice set from the Blues after points - now the challenge is to stay disciplined.
Or not... they go to Stefano Utoikamanu instead.
TIME FOR BACK FENCE SPENCE LADS AND GALS!
No goal
QLD started lethargic in the second half and the Blues made the Maroons pay. Following their first penalty of the game, a nice decoy play caught Tom Dearden in field and the rest of the QLD right edge jammed in and it was some nice hands from Luai and Mitchell to send To'o over for his second.
PENALTY NSW! THEY GOT ONE!
Cleary chips for the in-goal and that is a forced dropout.
Much needed error from QLD - good tackle from Robson to force it out.
PENALTY QLD: Jarome Luai inside 10 and it is now NINE-NIL!
Back underway for the second half.
LOMAX FOR TWO... WIDE RIGHT
I am confused, mesmorised, stunned and left wondering WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED
Trent Loiero has passed his HIA
Holmes converts.
The ultimate insult for the Blues was that it was the ill-fated 12-point turnaround in the shadows of half-time. A great short ball from Dearden to debutant Kurt Mann put him into space and he found Kurt Capewell to score and the Maroons were well on top.
PENALTY QLD: Slow ruck - the penalties are now EIGHT TO NIL!
Despite not being in tune, the Blues weren't going to be down for long. Nathan Cleary took the ball to the line, busted off a defender and seemed to bust through to score. But, the replays showed it was way too easy after Stefano Utoikamanu came back through into the path of Patrick Carrigan who denied the bench forward a chance to defend.
Lovely little long pass from Angus Crichton to keep it alive ! To'o grubbers it and it is played at by Hammer.
SIX AGAIN NSW: Ruck infringement
WOW! Spencer Leniu has said BANG! He just launched into his club mate Lindsay Collins.
Holmes converts
The discipline got worse and NSW imploded. Harry Grant decided to scheme around the rucks and it was Cam Munster that got himself between Angus Crichton and Luai to score the Maroons third of the first half.
Ash Klein's whistle has been heard a lot in this game - a lot has been warranted
PENALTY QLD: Inside 10m
Up against a 4-0 penalty count, the Blues struggled for possession and continued to hurt themselves throughout the latter stages of the first half. Lomax joined Luai on-report after an elbow to the head of Trent Loiero and Holmes made no mistake.
PENALTY QLD: Elbow to the head and Lomax has been placed on report - QLD should shoot for goal.
Munster from well inside the 40 and the bounce suited Edwards perfectly!
NSW just seem completely out enthused at the moment - that last tackle sequence gave me AFL vibes!
Nice scramble - the pass was a bit behind Toia and some great scramble from Latrell Mitchell.
Big punt from Latrell
QLD go down a short side - Toia kicks but Edwards is too smart for that kick!
CAUTION TIME
PENALTY QLD: High tackle and now Tino Fa'asuamaleaui has ran further than he did in the entire last game to escalate that.
Jarome Luai has been placed on report for "rubbish on the face"
Cleary has botled it and that is is a wasted possession by the Blues. That was a poor pass behind Payne Haas.
OH QLD HAVE LOST IT OFF THE RESTART!
QLD up by a converted try.
They have found their QLD spirit. Some cheap yardage errors kept opening the door for the Maroons and it was a clever cross-field kick from Tom Dearden that allowed Tabuai-Fidow to fly over the top of To'o to score his second try.
Liam Martin gets some of his own medicine back on that one! Val Holmes hit him with absolutely everything.
Great shot by Liam Martin right under the rib cage!
Max King has lost it on the ground according to Ash Klein. Horrible pick up from Edwards there
Good set end from QLD and it is TEAMING DOWN!
In a polar opposite from the Suncorp game - both kickers have brought their kicking boots - 6-6
Off the back of some poor discipline, the NSW side quickly were on the back foot and the Maroons capitalised at lightning speed. A nice shift to the right edge saw Robert Toia draw in the defence after getting on the outside of Latrell Mitchell and find Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to cross for the QLD side.
SIX AGAIN QLD: Ruck infringement.
PENALTY QLD: Ruck interference.
PENALTY QLD: Slow peel against Payne Haas - good carry from Toia
NSW complete their set after points - Latrell Mitchell with that kick there.
Lomax nails it off the post
Following a rough start to the game which saw both sides struggle to come to terms with the slippery conditions. NSW capitalised off a great play from the returning Jarome Luai. An early kick in the count saw the QLD edge drag in, Angus Crichton then toed it ahead and Brian To'o got the ball down to score for the Blues.
CAPTAIN'S CHALLENGE SUCCESSFUL NSW
CAPTAIN'S CHALLENGE NSW: On field call is a strip.
PENALTY QLD: Strip and we have some push and shove early in Game 2!
Crichton puts that one down! Good rushing defence from Xavier Coates and he didn't get a good grab on that one - the pass from Edwards a little behind!
SIX AGAIN NSW: Ruck infringement against Cam Munster on LAST TACKLE!
Hammer defending with Toia on the right - Coates defending on the left with Valentine Holmes.
Ponga's lost the ball! Great kick from Cleary - Lomax moved in field to compete for that one and the move pays off.
Munster's kick is way too long and the Blues have hung on there! Good on-goal defence from the Blues - thought the kick to Coates was the play!
Not a good result for Jarome Luai and he kicks it out on the full. Advantage QLD - Liam Martin was CRUNCHED in that set by Tino Fa'asuamaleaui.
OFF WE GO! Game 2 of the AMPOL Origin series is UNDERWAY!
Ashley Klein is in charge tonight for his 19th Origin as he moves closer to catching Bill Harrigan and Gerard Sutton for most Origin games officiated. Touch judges are Dave Munro and Chris Sutton. Bunker official tonight is the full-time Chris Butler.
We're moments away from Origin II. QLD have their backs against the wall and are looking for the moment to strike against the NSW side who are up and about. We arrive at Optus Stadium where the Blues are undefeated in two Origin matches winning both games by 13+. For the teams, the two Mitch's are out (Moses and Barnett). Jarome Luai and Stefano Utoikamanu come in while Matt Burton is 18th man. For the Maroons, there are two changes, DCE and Beau Fermor are out with Tom Dearden the man at half-back while Kurt Mann is the new utility back on the bench! Kurt Capewell comes in onto the edge with Trent Loiero starting with Pat Carrigan dropped.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Ashley Klein
Touch Judges: Chris Sutton, Dave Munro
Video Referee: Chris Butler
NEW SOUTH WALES (24)
Tries: Brian To'o (3), Stephen Crichton, Angus Crichton
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Zac Lomax (2/5)
Penalty Goals:
QUEENSLAND (26)
Tries: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (2), Cameron Munster, Kurt Capewell
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Valentine Holmes (4/4)
Penalty Goals: Valentine Holmes (1/1)