Jarome Luai's Blues admission highlighted by ugly Origin image
One moment summed up the Blues star's disappointment better than most.
NSW Blues playmaker Jarome Luai has summed up the thoughts of many fans and commentators after a brutal assessment of his side's performance in the disastrous State of Origin opener against Queensland. The Blues failed to capitalise on a number of Queensland injuries and a controversial late sin-binning of Tom Flegler, as they were overrun in a 26-18 defeat at Adelaide Oval.
The Blues now face a do-or-die Game II showdown at the Maroons' Suncorp Stadium cauldron, with history well and truly against them. Not once in more than four decades of Origin history has NSW gone to Queensland and won to save a series, in what can only be described as the grimmest of omens for coach Brad Fittler's side.
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Fittler is just one of a number of Blues that have come under massive scrutiny after the worrying Game I defeat, with NSW captain James Tedesco also facing fierce backlash after one of his worst games in a sky blue jersey. Fittler is fighting to save his job in Game II after a number of contentious selection gambles failed to pay off.
One of those included leaving reigning Dally M Medallist Nicho Hynes on the bench for almost 70 minutes and only bringing him on out of position at centre when Tom Trbojevic left the field for an HIA. Hynes combined with Josh Addo-Carr to prevent Murray Taulagi crossing for a try in the final 10 minutes, but he was brutally exposed in defence for the Maroons' go-ahead try moments later.
With NSW enjoying a two-point lead and man advantage after Flegler's sin-binning, Hynes was worryingly stood up by Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster, who brushed off the NSW utility's feeble tackle before setting up Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to cross for Queensland. The image of Munster making a mockery of the NSW defensive line is one that will haunt Fittler and his men.
A shattered Luai accepted that he and halves partner failed to organise the NSW attack effectively, but stressed that it was his side's defence that really let the team down. “Our attack was a bit clunky tonight, but I thought we scored enough points to get the job done,” Luai said.
"We just didn’t get our defence right and didn’t win the big moments. But one-nil down and we are still in this series and we are going to have to do a good job up at Suncorp.”
Maroons pick apart feeble NSW defence
Maroons legend Cooper Cronk was among those to pick apart the Blues' defence after highlighting the crucial Hynes miss as a match-defining error for NSW. “They got to the lead through the Api Koroisau try and then a couple of errors came into the game, Cronk said on Fox League. “But you cannot defend the fact that Hamiso scored that try with an extra player [defending].
“Munster going across the field, I think he beat Cleary, beat Hynes — some pretty good footballers right there. That had to be stopped. It’s pretty hard conversations in the review of that play right there.”
Former Maroons star Corey Parker echoed the views of Cronk and blasted the Blues' defence for allowing Munster to get on their outside to set up game's most pivotal try. “It’s about the moments. Origin is about playing the moments, it’s about coming up with effort plays at a point where you’re under enormous amounts of fatigue," Parker said.
“Cameron Murray, Nathan Cleary and Nicho Hynes. Three of arguably the best players in the competition and Munster was able to start on the inside of Murray and finish on the outside of Hynes to set up the two-on-one on the outside for the Hammer. It shouldn’t happen. It should not happen.”
Among Luai's other frustrations was a controversial call against Tyson Frizell, who was denied a try after Queensland winger Murray Taulagi got his hand under part of the footy. Despite evidence suggesting Frizell got part of the ball to the ground, Klein sent the incident up to the Bunker as a 'no try' and with insufficient evidence to conclusively say otherwise, the on-field decision stood.
“I thought it was a try. I thought it was down and I was about to run back for kick-off and they said he was held up," Luai said. “But we bounced back from that and got ourselves in front and they just took it away from us in the last few minutes.”
with AAP
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