Daly Cherry-Evans heroics expose damning Blues effort in Origin
One key moment from Daly Cherry-Evans summed up the gulf between Queensland and NSW in State of Origin II.
If there was to be one moment that summed up the gap between NSW and Queensland in State of Origin this year, it's hard to go past Daly Cherry-Evans' chasedown tackle on a runaway Stephen Crichton. Not only was it a supreme individual effort, it was backed up by Cherry-Evans' Maroons teammates in a way the Blues simply didn't match.
While it was a brilliant run from Crichton, replays showed the entire Queensland side hustling back to get in position to defend. Crichton's was the only blue jersey in the shot, his Blues teammates failing to show the same urgency their Maroons rivals did.
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Corey Parker was quick to pick up on the difference in effort. On commentary for Fox League, the former Queensland star noted that it was effort play like that could frequently mark the difference between the two sides. The effort wasn't lost either on Queensland coach Billy Slater, who touched on it in his halftime interview.
For Parker, he believed the 'desperation' showed by Queensland to get back on defence was a key moment that set up Queensland's 32-6 victory. Once again, the victory was highlighted by the Maroons' staunch defence frustrating a number of Blues pushes.
“That’s all the difference is from time to time,” Parker said. “You look at both sides and there was enormous efforts from individuals, but when the crunch time was on it was the difference between putting jerseys in the picture and not accepting no.
“Turning up for your teammates with desperation and that’s all it was. Daly Cherry-Evans in the first half ran down Stephen Crichton.
"He was then there for an offload off Pat Carrigan and off the back of it they score, so they are the little moments that when you look collectively as a group, that’s the difference. An incredible performance to win the series the way they did.”
Blues tactics exposed as Queensland romp home for Origin win
Conversely, not only were the Blues criticised for their effort, but head coach Brad Fittler was called out for a number of tactical decisions that hardly helped the visitors' cause. Though an early injury to Tom Trbojevic was hardly helpful, the decision to move Damien Cook to right centre frequently left them exposed.
Fittler had several back-row options he could have used to cover Trbojevic, with the versatile Cameron Murray left on the bench and Cook thrust into an unfamiliar position on the edge. It meant the Blues' dual dummy half game plan was out the window, with Reece Robson forced to play a full 80 minutes at hooker and Cook unable to effect the game though the middle of the ruck as originally intended.
Commentators and fans noted that Murray even had experience playing in the centres at Australian schoolboy level, with many suggesting that an edge forward such as Hudson Young would have been a better option at centre. As it turned out, Cook was inevitably exposed out of position by the ruthless Maroons, despite scoring a sensational try for his side's only four-pointer of the night.
Twice play broke down on Cook's edge despite the Blues having numbers, while Jeremiah Nanai stepped him for an early line break. Both of Holmes' tries came in his corner, while Reece Walsh also tormented Cook's right edge to put Xavier Coates over in the second half as the Maroons romped home.
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