Five and a kick: Payne inflicted, Crichton chaos and Grant gobsmacked in NSW half-hour demolition job
In the space of 30 minutes, it was decided Origin 2024 was heading to game three with the series level. The Blues put forward their best first half in state history, flawless from end-to-end and structured with vigour and precision.
Following a gritty 10 minutes of physicality, it was Liam Martin who set the tone early – sounding the alarms for an oncoming NSW avalanche.
Michael Maguire had his men switched on from first contact. Captain Jake Trbojevic dominated Lindsay Collins in contact, going on to slow the ruck and Queensland’s exit pace. It was a demolition job moments later, where Maguire was gifted with a perfect blueprint to deploy weaponry and aggression.
Payne Haas charges into the Maroons. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Queensland on the other hand had no escape route, their halves had no time, space or momentum. Key staples Daly Cherry-Evans, Reece Walsh and Ben Hunt could do nothing to weather the storm.
The Maroons were trounced in every effort area – while the second half led to short-side blitzes from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Murray Taulagi, the damage was already done.
- Payne all over
Payne Haas without question had his best performance in a Blue jersey. Through a 13 game state career, Haas has illustrated promise but never truly dominated his opponents.
In 29 minutes, the towering No.10 had 130 running metres – but it was the manner in which he ran. The 24-year-old tore apart Queensland’s middle and edge. With surprising speed in such a big frame, Haas directed charges at Cherry-Evans and Tom Dearden. He had intent and difference, choosing to bolt not just through the centre, but at the smaller bodies.
Powering through 31 minutes in his first stint, Haas finished the game making 31 tackles, zero missed. Haas was seven metres shy of Dylan Edwards’ 200 gained over the night, showcasing his insane motor and rare agility.
He made 80 post contact metres and took 16 hit-ups, making four offloads and no errors.
In game three, he must continue to single out certain Maroons and question their edge defence. When he deviates his direction and adds footwork, Haas is unpredictable and the biggest threat on the field. It was a 10 out of 10 performance from the dynamo.
2. Angus and Stephen Crichton, the brothers of physicality
Angus Crichton was arguably the man of the match. The hard-running second-rower tore strips through Queensland’s right edge and was incredible in attack. His leg-drive and intensity in contact was present all night, throughout a talisman 80 minute performance.
The Rooster ran for 171 metres, 77 of those post contact. He led the Blues on seven tackle breaks and 17 hit-ups. His tenacity was nothing short of remarkable.
Adding to his many skills, Crichton pulled off a cracking offload to Dylan Edwards, which led to a Latrell Mitchell try.
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He made 22 tackles and was a beast in every contest. Crichton was the best forward on the field.
Meanwhile, Stephen Crichton had a similar impact in aggression and defence. It’s fitting to see the centre at Canterbury – because a Bulldog he was.
The three-time premiership winner seems to lift at the right moments, seemingly when the set is over or nothing much is doing.
Crichton muscled Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow back into the in-goal during a critical momentum swing for the Blues – it was a moment that solidified his presence as a leader.
The 23-year-old was openly frustrated in the opening minutes after knocking the ball forward when trying to offload to winger Zac Lomax. It was his mission to change the score and camp Queensland in their corner.
3. Jurbo plays similar minutes despite the thrashing result
NSW captain Jake Trbojevic was heavily criticised in game one for his 29 minute performance. Trbojevic was taken off when the momentum was all Queensland – raising questions over his effectiveness as a ball-runner and leader.
The Sea Eagle played just 34 minutes in the Blues dominant win, but had a superb impact nonetheless. In attack, the prop was full of grunt and provided front foot ball for his halves. With just seven hit-ups, his role in NSW is clearly to reset structure and keep the side settled early on.
Trbojevic had 72 run metres and made 15 tackles – a quiet outing on the latter statistic based off his standards.
He played nine minutes in the second half, yet his presence was powerful in the first and set the tone.
While not a bold captain’s knock, coach Maguire made the right call in benching Trbojevic for the final fifteen minutes of the first half.
He made way for Spencer Leniu who ensured NSW kept their foot on the throat of Queensland – which in the end, gave the Blues a comfortable buffer in the second 40.
4. Leniu goes whack in round two
If anyone thought Spencer Leniu couldn’t top his game one brutality, they were wrong. Leniu is setting a scary standard for the Origin decider.
Deployed at the ideal time during the 31st minute, Leniu did what he does best – bust first contact and pump the legs.
Spencer Leniu goes on a rampage. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The Rooster recruit made 83 metres through six runs and has a terrific ability to shrug his way out of tackles.
Leniu has the power and speed to maintain momentum through contact, which allows him to get a roll-on and send the defence flying.
Once again, the interchange enigma had similar minutes to game one, getting through 28 minutes of full-tilt work.
He played only two minutes in the second half, which was a nod to his insane impact during his initial stint.
Leniu is now a validated Origin enforcer. He laid a platform in game one and backed it up with confidence.
5. The shoulder of Mitchell Moses
Throughout the build-up towards Origin two, Haumole Olakau’atu told The Roar he was excited to see the defence of Mitchell Moses in the state arena.
The halfback more than proved his worth without the boot and ball. Moses pulled off massive moments with his shoulder, taking down Tom Dearden time and time again to suffocate Queensland momentum.
Moses charged out of the line on multiple occasions, stunting the footwork of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and cramming Reece Walsh of space in back line block plays.
The Eels general made a whopping 23 tackles, the most out of any NSW back by far. Jaydn Su’A was largely ineffective throughout the fixture due to Moses’ confidence and intent in defence.
While the No.7 missed a few tackles towards the latter stages of the game, he remained bullish and forceful.
Moses mastered Origin – it was a fully rounded performance that was desperately required to force a series decider. His presence was insurmountable.
Kick – The Harry Grant and Ben Hunt combo
For once, Harry Grant and Ben Hunt proved futile in the Origin arena. Smashed early in defence, Ben Hunt was gassed early on and struggled to keep up with the speed of the Blues.
While most of the Maroons had the same issue, Hunt’s characteristics were not suited to such a scenario. The ageing No.9 is not quick around the ruck and doesn’t have the same impact when running at hooker.
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Hunt played 30 minutes during his first stint, so when Harry Grant was called upon, the game was over.
Grant was visibly out of touch when slammed into the Blues and had no time to acclimatise – unlike Connor Watson, who thrived with the set ruck speed.
The Storm rake is a strong defender, but was sent out as a sitting duck. When Queensland were clearly on the back foot, Grant should’ve been stationed from the get go.