Matt Burton leaves viewers stunned with 'otherworldly' Origin feat
Matt Burton couldn't keep himself out of the State of Origin spotlight in the decider and once again left viewers gobsmacked with a remarkable kick.
Burton was the talk of Game II after putting up a number of monster kicks to leave the Queensland defence scrambling.
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However, the Blues centre may have outdone himself in Game III after putting Kalyn Ponga in a spin with what was described as one of the biggest kicks in NRL history.
During a pulsating first half, NSW threw the ball to Burton in the 37th minute to see if he could crack the game open with a towering bomb.
Burton launched the ball from his own half and had one of the game's best fullbacks, Ponga, chasing shadows.
"That's the highest kick in history," Matthew Thompson said in commentary.
"That was breathtaking."
Andrew Johns claimed the bomb went higher than Burton's kick in Perth during Game II.
Unfortunately for NSW, the ball hit the ground and bounced safely in the hands for the Maroons.
His latest kick probably eclipsed his efforts in Game II and fans jumped on social media to joke that viewers needed a telescope to see the Steeden ball from space.
Channel 9 trying to follow Burton Bombs 💣 #Origin pic.twitter.com/cXeJzyBiLL
— Mark Cruickshank (@MCruicky) July 13, 2022
I could totally catch a Matt Burton bomb
— Harry Scorse (@TheScorsizzler) July 13, 2022
I don’t think I have ever seen a bigger bomb than what Matt Burton just kicked! 💣
Hit the Tropopause I think! #Origin— Josh Holt (@JoshHoltTEN) July 13, 2022
James Webb Telescope might have picked up that Burton bomb. #Origin
— Alexander Grant (@AlexGrantOz) July 13, 2022
Burton’s bomb spotted.#Origin pic.twitter.com/iydgGoG5ie
— Elliott Lovejoy (@ElliottLovejoy) July 13, 2022
Are the channel 9 commentators going to pass out first from a Burton bomb or Tedesco when he does literally anything OMG he's a genius did you see the way he got tackled #StateofOrigin
— Jason (@JasonofSyd) July 13, 2022
I have to re-watch that Burton bomb as it was abnormally high. Actually have never seen a kick like that.
— Marco Scali (@MScali2) July 13, 2022
Matt Burton's otherworldly bombs? That's champagne rugby league
Jarome Luai getting pushed out wide for his centre to kick? That's cuckold rugby league— NU BROWN TOWN (@HarethE11is) July 13, 2022
Forget forward pass technology.
Just chuck the tracker in there so we can see how high Burton’s bombs go.— Jason Oliver (@JasonNRL) July 13, 2022
Many fans questioned why Burton's kicking wasn't used more in the second half when Queensland were piling on the pressure in the NSW half.
Regardless, Queensland's pressure was insurmountable as a late Ben Hunt try helped the Maroons defeat the Blues 22-12 in Game III in front of 52,000 vociferous Maroons supporters.
Brad Fittler left to dissect Blues defeat
Following the defeat to an under strength Maroons team, Fittler's choices were once again questioned.
On the back foot for much of the second half after having the upper hand in the first, the Blues simply weren't able to work their way back after being pummelled in defence.
The Blues slowly started running out of counters, leaving some fans to question the wisdom of selecting Stephen Crichton and Siosifa Talakai ahead of Canberra Raiders star Jack Wighton.
Wighton was electric in NSW's Game I win, but a positive Covid-19 test held him out of Game II.
He was fit to play the decider, but Fittler opted to start Crichton in the centres and bring Talakai off the bench in favour of Wighton.
With the Blues having lacked some playmaking zest when the pressure was truly on during the second half, Fittler was questioned over his selections.
It was the second time in the space of three years that Brad Fittler's side have had the chance to wrap up the series, only for Queensland to pip them and leave them soul searching.
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