With an all new side fielded by the NSW Blues for their must win clash against QLD in Sydney, the game promised to be a cracker. Game one saw QLD blow NSW off the park in the final twenty. Could a new look side with plenty of youthful exuberance turn the tides of what could be the first Queensland win since 1999? Andrew Johns and Gorden Tallis’ boys had eighty minutes to decide.
NSW could not have wished for a better start after Mat Rogers misjudged the long kick-off and let it bounce into touch in goal. The line drop out had QLD under pressure immediately. Despite this, the Queensland defence held firm, with Shaun Berrigan hitting Andrew Johns in a rough tackle to force the ball lose.
The opening exchanges continued this frantic pace, with both sides making stupid mistakes. Darren Lockyer blew the first chance to score having made a break, with the fullback cum five-eighth dropping the ball cold when North Sydney’s Matthew Burke confronted him. The first points didn’t take long to come however, with Matt Parsons cautioned for a high tackle on Matt Bowen. Mat Rogers calmly took the penalty goal, and the Maroons led 2-0 after eight frantic minutes.
The injection of PJ Marsh in the 14th minute sparked Queensland’s best opportunity of the half. The young Parramatta halfback/hooker took advantage of some slow marker defence and raced upfield to get Queensland on the attack. Big Steven Price hit the line hard, running over the top of Craig Wing, before a series of passes found Lote Tuqiri out wide with no one to beat. The big Fijian strolled over, and Rogers added to the wound when he converted from near the sideline for an 8-0 lead.
Things went from bad to worse not long after however, with Matthew Gidley showing his glaring defensive weaknesses as Mat Rogers continually got around him, leaving Timana Tahu to do the defensive work. Walker-Bush chose this moment to bring on defensive utility, Shaun Timmins, but this didn’t seem to hinder Queensland’s attack. After a dominant set, including a big Gorden Tallis run, the Queenslanders hefted a bomb courtesy of Darren Lockyer, and Clinton Schifcofske leapt above Matt Geyer to score a stunning try. Rogers had little trouble with the conversion, and Queensland looked in control at 14-0 with twenty minutes of the first half remaining.
Andrew Johns’ nightmare game worsened as the captain continually tried too hard to find a miracle ball, and this fed the QLD engine. Despite this, Matthew Burke and Timmins defended like dervishes to keep NSW in the game. Four consecutive penalties handed NSW their best attacking opportunity of the game, but they couldn’t crack the line, Schifcofske ending the raid when he let the ball roll dead from a nothing Wing grubber.
Something had to give, and it was Josh Perry who stepped up to the plate. The aggressive young forward stepped up and ran clean over Queensland’s Shaun Berrigan, before embarking on a daunting fifty metre run which saw him beat five attempted tackles. The run was the foundation, and before long a bullet Brad Fittler pass found Shaun Timmins, who dummied out to Tahu to beat Rogers and score out wide. Johns hit the pressure kick, leaving NSW eight adrift at 14-6 with ten remaining in the half. Game on!
The final ten minutes were hectic and rough. Young Suva forward Travis Elken continued his good form from game one, tackling like a madman, and hitting the ball up at every chance he got. For NSW it was Jason Ryles who came on and made some big metres early on. But the half-time siren went, with Queensland still in control at 14-6.
HALF TIME: NSW 6 trail QLD 14
Whatever was said at half time, it had both sides fired up, with Shane Webcke and Matt Parsons levelling each other at every opportunity. The NSW backs began to assert their talent, with Timana Tahu shining in his first game since Wellington’s win over Central Coast in Round 11. The quicksilver winger created his own try in the 44th, chipping when he saw Schifcofske was deep, and then outpacing the Central captain to score a brilliant solo try. He did everything but convert it, which Andrew Johns did to drag the margin back two 14-12.
The dream start turned to a nightmare though, with Josh Perry losing the ball in a three man tackle to put QLD right back on the attack. They didn’t waste their opportunity, Steven Price barging over from ten out to score Queensland’s third try of the evening. Rogers again converted, and it was 20-12, with NSW adrift by eight all over again.
QLD looked to have wrapped it up in the 52nd when Mat Rogers scooped up a lazy Lockyer grubber to score what seemed to be a legitimate cry. But the video referee found a small knock-on, much to the outrage of a distraught Jelly Adams. Another disallowed try in the 34th, this time after Shane Webcke’s run was called up for shepherding, had Adams abusing a touch judge. An offence that may see the Coffs Harbour and Port Moresby coach front the ASRL conduct judiciary next week.
The Queenslanders lost a lot of energy after the two tries were called back and this is when Brisbane’s Preston Campbell was thrown into the foray. His elusive step and speed soon had Queensland’s tired forwards in disarray, but it was unheralded winger Matt Geyer who set up the next NSW try. The underrated utility made a clean bust off a long Johns ball, before offloading inside to Brad Fittler, who used his patented step to get around Schifcofske and score underneath the posts! Johns converted and the crowd went wild, as NSW trailed 20-18 with 17 minutes to go.
The Maroons seemed anxious to close the game out after this, but it didn’t work, the normally levelheaded QLD forwards guilty of too many forced offloads. Shane Webcke, Mark Tookey, and Gorden Tallis all threw stupid balls as they tried to shut the Blues out. The tactic played right into their hands when a rogue Tallis ball found Tahu. Tahu looked set to score, but a miraculous tackle from Rogers pulled him down only metres short. Elken undid Rogers’ good work however, who came in over the top and conceded a penalty for holding the player down. Johns opted not to go for goal, and found big Jason Ryles to hit it up. The Sydney prop was dragged down inches short, but a quick play the ball allowed Craig Wing to muscle his way over and see NSW in the lead for the first time. Johns’ good night with the boot continued, with NSW up 24-20 with six minutes of time remaining.
A weak offside penalty in the 77th allowed NSW to push the margin out to six, meaning QLD’s best hope was a draw, but the last QLD blow never fell. There were cries of foul play as the siren went however, Burke penalised for raking the ball in a blatant two on one tackle just short of the line. QLD fans bayed for a penalty try, but referee Bill Harrigan didn’t see it the same way, blowing a penalty on fulltime. Lockyer’s quick tap came to nought, as his attempted burrow across the line was halted by a desperate Anasta tackle. The Blues had levelled the series, and game three would decide it after a 26-20 win.
NSW 26
Timana Tahu
Craig Wing
Shaun Timmins
Brad Fittler
Johns 5/5
Def.
QLD 20
Steven Price
Lote Tuqiri
Clinton Schifcofske
Rogers 4/4
Man of the Match:
Timana Tahu- 3 PoM points
Mat Rogers- 2 PoM points
Shaun Timmins- 1 PoM point
