Halves to battle in Perth

SYDNEY: Game two of the State of Origin game two will come down to the battle of the five-eighths with New South Wales’ (NSW) Jarome Luai Queensland’s Cameron Munster set for battle in Perth on Sunday.
The Blues No.6 needs to find a way to take some heat off Nathan Cleary, who was hounded by the Maroons kick pressure in Sydney and took a pounding.
The addition of Matt Burton adds another kicking option but Luai is the man closest to the action and the time has come for him to stamp his authority on the Origin arena just as his opposing five-eighth Munster did in game one.
The Maroons maestro was at his instinctive best, tormenting the Blues defence with his running game and kicking expertly when required.
If Munster is allowed to roam free again he will punish the Blues and the Origin shield will be headed back to Queensland. If Luai can find his mojo and set the Blues backs in motion with some trademark dashes then we could be headed for a decider in Brisbane on July 13.
There have been 124 matches played since the State of Origin concept began with a one-off game at Lang Park on July 8, 1980. The ledger stands at 66 wins to Queensland, 56 to NSW and two draws. The Maroons have won 22 series to the Blues’ 16 with two drawn in 1999 and 2002. Queensland’s Lindsay Collins and Patrick Carrigan combined for 31 runs and 316 metres off the bench in game one as they provided maximum impact when called on by coach Billy Slater.
Blues bench forwards Liam Martin, Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Ryan Matterson could muster only 214 metres from 27 runs.
The Maroons have been forced into a couple of changes after Reuben Cotter hurt his hamstring during warm-up for the Cowboys’ game against Manly last week and Xavier Coates suffered an ankle injury in game one.
Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi comes into the starting side after he was part of the extended squad in Sydney while back-rower Jai Arrow returns to the squad.
A former Queensland under-20s and Junior Kangaroos player, Taulagi will become the seventh Cowboy to be involved in Origin this year with teammates Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Valentine Holmes, Tom Dearden, Jeremiah Nanai and Cotter all featuring in the squad for game one and Jordan McLean joining the NSW squad for Perth.
Broncos Thomas Flegler and Corey Oates have been added to the wider squad along with Gold Titans backrower Beau Fermor and New Zealand Warriors fullback Reece Walsh.
— NRL

Fittler holds secret meet with referees

SYDNEY: Blues coach Brad Fittler reportedly held a secret meeting with referee boss Jared Maxwell ahead of the State of Origin series opener.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Fittler came armed with video highlighting illegal plays from Maroons players during last year’s Origin series and while playing for their National Rugby League clubs.
He pinpointed forward passes out of dummy half by Maroons hooker Harry Grant, off-side plays from Cameron Munster and kick pressure on halfback Nathan Cleary.
Fittler’s fear was that the referees could have a big influence on the result and took the unusual step of making the approach ahead of the series.
Fittler then sought out Maxwell after Game One, incensed at the performance of referee Ashley Klein. Among his list of grievances were a cut-out ball from Kalyn Ponga leading to Dane Gagai’s try and Blues prop Junior Paulo being held in the scrum while Daly Cherry-Evans scored from close range.
– SMH

Arrrow seeking redemption after Origin blunder last year

SYDNEY: Recalled Maroons forward Jai Arrow has vowed not to be “defined” by his highly-publicised axing in 2021.
Arrow copped a K84,000 fine and two-game suspension for sneaking a woman into Queensland’s team hotel last year.
The 26-year-old watched game three from home as his side won 20-18 to a void a series whitewash.
Arrow has been promoted from the Maroons’ reserves and onto the bench for game two this Sunday following an injury to Reuben Cotter.
“I don’t want to let what happened last year define me as a person and define me as a player,” Arrow said.
“All I could do was control what I was doing moving forward, that was just do the right things and make sure I prepare myself as best as I can. It was hard watching game three in isolation from home but I have definitely moved on.
“Playing for Queensland is something I hold close to my heart and now I’m looking forward to pulling on the Maroon jersey again.”
There are some stark differences between New South Wales’ (NSW) and Queensland’s preparation for game two of the series.
Traditionally, with Origin games played on Wednesday night, teams have 10 days to get themselves set for the fierce rivalry — but for a Sunday game coaches are only afforded seven.
NSW’s squad made the five-hour flight to Perth on Monday following the weekend’s rugby league action and the new-look team will be hoping to gel quickly to take the series to a decider after Sunday.
– Fox Sports

Maroons to change iconic logo for series

BRISBANE: Queensland will look a little different during the remainder of this year’s State of Origin series.
The Maroons are synonymous with Four-X beer (XXXX) beer but the iconic alcohol logo will be replaced on their jerseys for games two and three.
But XXXX is giving up its prized real estate on the jerseys for Sunday night’s game in Perth and next month’s clash in Brisbane.
The branding will be replaced by the postcodes of regional communities in Queensland — an initiative aimed at fostering a sense of pride about the Sunshine State.
XXXX brand director Chris Allan said, “XXXX has been a proud Queenslander for 144 years, and one of the things that makes it great is its communities.
“The Maroons are running out on the pitch representing all of the regions and we wanted to bring some recognition of this to the Origin arena.”
“It’s a fantastic initiative and one that the Queensland Rugby League and XXXX should be extremely proud of.
“These communities are close to our hearts and it’s a fitting tribute to the places that make this state great.”
The beer branding was on display during Queensland’s 16-10 win over New South Wales in game one, with the logo featuring prominently on players’ sleeves.
– Fox Sports