State Of Origin, Game Tres; The Preview
Game three's, game seven's, game five's, whatever it is, it means that it's time to get super funky. A game three only felt right for State Of Origin 2015, put your bias aside and these two teams are evenly matched, there's no clear favourite and as we've seen in the first two games both teams have strengths and weaknesses which correspond well with their opponent.
Queensland's age ... I mean experience has served them well, especially in game one where we saw them click into 'win' mode where nothing else mattered besides grinding New South Wales down. Game two however saw the youth and aggression shine for the Blues as they dominated a rather plain Maroons forward pack, showing the sort of signs that will have Blues fans not only excited for game three but also the coming five or so years.
Much of this has centred on David Klemmer who has flourished in the sky blue jersey, to the point where he'll demand plenty of attention from the Maroons. To be honest, a lot of the attention Klemmer has received on both sides of the border has had little to do with his barnstorming carries, instead we've had to put up with general media shenanigans about whether Klemmer has been disrespectful or whatever. Pay no mind to that, Klemmer's role is extremely simple and coming off the bench only simplifies the job that he must do and it's going to be very interesting to see what happens when Klemmer comes on around the 25 minute mark. Either he'll inspire his Blues homies or he'll fall victim to having a target put on his back by the Maroons.
The issue for the Maroons though is that they don't really have anyone who is as dynamic as Klemmer, let alone as big as Klemmer. The Maroons will be well aware that Klemmer can change the game, but do Nate Myles, Matt Scott and Corey Parker have it in them to give Klemmer a whack?
Josh Papalii will probably be tasked with matching Klemmer and the Blues impact off the bench, which is a boost but stopping Klemmer doesn't quite fit with the troops that the Maroons have.
To overlook the importance of Aaron Woods and James Tamou would be daft and while Klemmer will play his part, the two starting props have been exceptional in the first two games. Even with the Maroons winning game one, Woods and Tamou have had the edge on their rivals from the start of game one and the task of stopping the big boppers who will come off the bench for the Blues is a whole lot harder when Woods and Tamou are ripping in as well as they have done.
If we've learned anything in the first two games it's that the Blues have great potential through the middle. Maybe potential is the wrong word because they've dominated that aspect of the game already, but as with every game of footy, whether it's rugby or rugby league, the battle through the middle will go a long way towards deciding a winner. The Blues have the size, so how do the Maroons counter that?
Defensively we're going to see a prime example of how crucial the wrestle is, such is the disparity between the forward packs. Besides inspired performances from Scott, Myles and Parker in game one, the Maroons were able to control the ruck for periods of the game and limit the impact of the Blues forwards. The Maroons may not have the biggest forward pack, but they have a very crafty forward pack and while we love the word 'niggle' the Maroons are well versed in niggle with a point.
Safe in the knowledge that the Blues will be pretty damn ruthless, keep an eye on what happens in the ruck area. The Maroons will put three or four blokes into tackles, they'll put elbows on faces, they'll twist ankles, they'll put the ball carrier on his back and they'll spin the carrier around. Not in the name of hatred, but because they need slow these big Blues down.
Both teams will push an offload out and the Blues have some great offloading exponents, but offloads will be more important to the Maroons. In very general terms the Maroons will be eager to play the game quickly, keep the ball moving and in the field of play to shift the Blues forwards around and put them under the pump. Parker is the king of the offload but look for the rest of the Maroons will look to push offloads whenever the chance arises and it will greatly help them as they try to make a dent in the defensive line of the Blues.
It won't be the end of the world if Robbie Farah is ruled out as Michael Ennis, who you would expect would step into his shoes. Ennis has been in great from for the Sharks and he's a wise runner of the footy, offers a good kicking option and he's got all the passes needed to do the job for the Blues. The worst case scenario for the Blues is that Farah plays and is borderline, the Blues need their hooker to be on point, not taking a lesser role because he's slightly injured.
Thou shall not sleep on Cooper Cronk. Cronk offers structure, he simplifies the roles of those around him because he does his job as the halfback so damn well. If you are looking for someone to tune your focus on, Cronk's your guy, just whatever you do, don't sleep on how important he is to the Maroons.
Dane Gagai and Will Chambers will slot into familiar roles in the Maroons backline, but with Greg Inglis at fullback they will have a new dimension on attack. Billy Slater is a crafty kick-returner as he rarely meets the chasers front on, he'll wiggle his way into a gap and look to get to ground quickly. Inglis with a much bigger frame will give the Maroons a better start to their sets and he'll be picking out Mitchell Pearce and Trent Hodkinson as often as possible.
Watching Inglis develop as a fullback has been a joy and his biggest attribute is how active he is. Every carry by one of his teammates will include Inglis in the frame, he'll be there waiting for an opportunity, just a mere sniff of an opportunity will suit Inglis. Slater's passing game is the best in the NRL, so it will also be interesting to see how Inglis goes in that role, he's shown that he can lay down a nice assist in the NRL, but can he do it for the Maroons?
Pick a winner? Nah, I'm perched on my throne which sits smack, bang on the fence. This is a game three that is perfect set. Up in Brisbane at Suncorp, the Maroons will be eager to play an up-tempo style and the quick surface of Suncorp will play into their hands but the Blues won't care. They probably haven't cared in previous big games at Suncorp, or they have probably said that they don't care, but in 2015, they can smell blood.