Surprise, surprise it was only Queenslanders who were peddling the theory Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses was the latest NSW halves combination destined to implode.
Two dominant halfbacks can’t work, they said. Jarome Luai the incumbent should have held his spot, they said.
You can’t have two boss cockatoos on the same perch, they said. What a load of waffle.
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It’s only early days but the Blues halves showed enough to suggest they can become NSW’s new-age version of the lethal Ricky Stuart-Laurie Daley combination of the early 1990s.
Granted they were nowhere near perfect – both made mistakes – but for a first-up run on the game’s biggest stage in the hostile environment of Suncorp Stadium there was so much to like about the Cleary-Moses combination.
If these two can stay injury-free and get time together with the nucleus of this current Blues side then look out Queensland.
Clearly and Moses were dancing to their own tunes off the back of Payne Haas, Mitch Barnett, Isaah Yeo, Angus Crichton and Liam Martin going to work against a Queensland side who were more pop gun than the usual sawn-off shotgun Maroons outfit.
Which brings us to the biggest question facing Queensland coach Billy Slater. Blues champion and the Eighth Immortal Andrew Johns was straight on the front foot before full-time questioning whether Tom Dearden needs to be brought into the Maroons starting side.
Because when Dearden came on all of a sudden the Maroons looked threatening.
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The player in the firing line is the Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans who started the game strong enough before being completely out-played by the new Blues combination of Cleary and Moses.
It’s a huge call to axe the Queensland captain after the opening game of the series but the option of Dearden and Munster must surely come into consideration after Queensland looked largely inept and disjointed for large periods of the game.
Aside from Xavier Coates scoring when the Blues were reduced to 12 players with Brian To’o in the sin bin the Maroons were a pale of imitation of the sides containing champion playmakers like Wally Lewis, Allan Langer, Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston.
The Hammer, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, must also be in trouble as the Maroons right centre given Val Holmes is clearly a far greater attacking threat playing in the centres than on the wing.
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It’s madness to think about axing Queensland hooker Harry Grant but there’s no question the Maroons No.9 had a bad night by his elite standards.
Grant is an out and out champion but came up with three crucial errors in the opening half which also didn’t help DCE or the Maroons.
Aside from Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, the Maroons forwards were completely monstered.
Put on show by the Blues one-two punch of Haas and Barnett. Then Yeo, who simply ran the football for the first 65 minutes, was also colossal.
Same for Spencer Leniu and Max King off the bench on debut. Blues coach Laurie Daley clearly got those selections right.
Then there was the performance of the NSW centres Latrell Mitchell and Stephen Crichton.
Crichton might have been under an injury cloud but produced a phenomenal defensive performance combined with flashes of class in attack.
Latrell was reasonably well contained with the ball but it was the way he was simply rag-dolling the Maroons in defence that was a highlight.
Shades of the Raging Bull Gorden Tallis on Brett Hodgson, Latrell was so physical.
And we’ve hardly mentioned the Blues wingers Zac Lomax and Brian To’o. What weapons. Throw in fullback Dylan Edwards too.
In his first crack as NSW Blues coach from 2013 to 2017 Laurie Daley was forced to endure the wrath of a Queensland side most consider the greatest team in Origin history.
Daley finished with one win from five series but with the side he’s selected now there’s no reason rugby league’s best bloke can’t go on a run and win multiple series to try and square the ledger.
What were your likes or dislikes from Origin I?
