Welcome to Wide World of Sports' live coverage of the opening match of the 2022 State of Origin series.
"It's vital, because it's the only home game we get, and game one in the series is always vital," Gould told Radio 2GB's Ben Fordham. Gould's 1994 side, which contained now-coach Brad Fittler at centre, is the only team in history to lose the opening match at home, but win the series with victories in games two and three away from home. Former New South Wales coach Phil Gould says tonight's opening match is "vital", given its the only time the Blues will play at home this series.
Minute-by-minute report: The 2022 series gets under way in Sydney with the Maroons looking to cause an upset against the heavily favoured Blues.
“I thought Cam Murray coming back from an operation, I thought it would be better bringing him in a little bit later and I like the balance of Reagan starting and bringing in Junior Paulo a little later. One of those, Harry Grant, will start from the bench after suffering an illness in the lead-up to the game. It is even about the Blues diverging from recent style to react to Queensland’s team selections. There’s also no shortage of conjecture over Jack Wighton starting ahead of Stephen Crichton in the centres. Enjoy the match and the blog. Brad Fittler has just been asked about those late changes to the NSW pack. Slater’s challenge is to generate the same passion in his charges that he exhibited during the most storied of Origin careers. The absence of Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic has brought the Blues back a bit I reckon. “When we grew up there wasn’t a visible person in front of us teaching us. It’s clear, dry, and cool in Sydney this evening. “We have focused on what we can control and that has been our preparation. “This team has been important to me since I was a four-year-old boy,” Slater said.
Updated photos from Game One of the 2022 Ampol State of Origin series as New South Wales host Queensland at Accor Stadium. All photos taken by the ...
'Play of the game': The THREE 'big' QLD moments behind stunning Origin epic.
“If Val doesn’t make that decision to come in from the wing, that’s a try every week. “I know Stephen Crichton wasn’t, he wasn’t expecting Cameron Munster to strip the ball. But it’s the little moments that count in State of Origin.” He initially beat Cherry-Evans and then Reuben Cotter before chipping a small kick. “From the other side of the field, that could be the play of the game. What a player.” You don’t do one and the game gets away from you.” That’s a superstar. That was enormous. This bloke (Cherry-Evans) jumped on a ball late in the game when there was a half chance that they were going to score a try. “They’re little moments but they’re big moments. “That (Munster’s strip) was a big moment.
The Queensland Maroons take a 1-0 series lead away from home, holding on for a 16-10 win over the Blues in Origin I in Sydney.
It was good tonight." "Probably the hardest game I have ever played in. I think guys just let me go." A lot of the boys put themselves in the picture and came up with some big efforts. "Particularly with the effort from the team. It is those moments that makes me proud of this group. Reuben Cotter is just that sort of player. "I was so proud of this group. By Simon Smale Can the Blues hit back? By Simon Smale With the all-important first try after half-time up for grabs, Munster made a typically elusive jinking run through the middle, with Daniel Tupou knocking down a Ponga pass to stop more points.
Streaming records have been broken after nearly three million viewers tuned in for Wednesday night's showdown between NSW and Queensland.
We were thrilled with how they performed and the numbers are a true reflection of how people are consuming content these days.” The interstate clash was the top program across all key demographics, with the audience total comprised of 1.771m metropolitan viewers, 741,000 regionally, as well as the record streaming numbers. A national average audience of 2.937m witnessed Queensland hang on to record a thrilling 16-10 victory at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night.
'Putting us to sleep': Call for 'wild days' return as boring Billy answer highlights big Origin issue — LIVE.
The rivalry of grenades getting thrown from one side of the border to the other. “The preparation and the coverage has never been more intense than what it is now and the players in response are pulling back. “...I’d like to think that we’re going to play well.” “The last quote anybody can remember was when Paul Gallen was paid $20,000 by the NRL to liven it up so he came out and called them two heads which just set Queensland alight. “Even in the lead-up to the game, nobody says anything,” he said. It’s expected to be a windy and wild affair in front of an expected sell-out crowd at Sydney’s Accor Stadium for Game 1.
Cowboys team-mates Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Murray Taulagi are vying for Origin II selection in place of the injured Xavier Coates.
I would have been comfortable throwing any of those guys a Maroons jersey.” Tabuai-Fidow made his Origin debut in the final game of last year's series as a centre but he is equally comfortable on the wing or at fullback, where he started the season for North Queensland before suffering a PCL injury in round four. However, Slater is resigned to being without the Storm winger for Origin II on June 26 and has confirmed that either Tabuai-Fidow or Taulagi was likely to replace him.
Big $100k Munster call as dressing room moment reveals real 'evolution' of QLD star.
“It reflects in the football he is playing. “He was a larrikin and basically turned up to play football with his mouthguard in. “In the first half I tried to be more of a halfback instead of playing my kind of footy, which is running the footy,” he said. “In the second half we obviously spoke to the spine and got [Daly] Cherry [-Evans] to get up a bit more as a first receiver and play his style of footy and [that made] me be able to play my style which is running around like a headless chook.” Former teammate Cooper Cronk is not paying attention to the flashy moments. Those were always part of Munster’s game.