Edwards belongs, Lomax is a baller and Slater has some coaching to do - What exactly did Origin II prove?

Making categorical statements after individual matches of rugby league can be fraught with danger, yet the drubbing dished out by the Blues to Queensland on Wednesday night did potentially settle a few discussions.

As if running around and loving life as a Panther, Dylan Edwards made a classy debut in a rampant NSW team that was never really threatened. Far from the best on ground, Edwards, just as he does each week in the NRL, was polished and precise, running for 203 metres and proving effective with 51 after contact.

Simply, he belongs and the Tedesco era in the custodian role is over.

The importance of a controlling seven and the quality Mitchell Moses brought to the Blues was easily identifiable, as was the lovely balance struck with Jarome Luai, where both appeared to enjoy their own space and share of the ball, which suited the overall objectives of the team.

As such, and after much discussion around him, the representative career of Nicho Hynes will have certainly been put on extended hold, if not killed off for good. What the Blues constructed in the halves was imposing and with two half-backs well clear of Hynes on the picking order, the Shark’s focus will now remain purely on club football.

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Zac Lomax is not everyone’s cup of tea. His hot head reputation and the false questions earlier in the season around his commitment to the Dragons in 2024 after being lured away to the Eels, had some doubting his selection.

Yet other talk around the 24-year-old being built for Origin is now looking far more on the mark. A Maroon supporting colleague was openly giggling prior to Origin I, suggesting that Lomax was the most comical selection in Blue that he had seen for years. I’ll give him a ring later today.

The match also proved beyond any doubt that the mere presence of Latrell Mitchell changes the entire psyche of the New South Wales team. Immediately there is swagger, with every man around him seemingly walking a little taller and ready for battle.

Mitchell’s numbers are almost always good, yet the psychological impact he has when playing in a Blue jersey is potentially even more important than what he produces on the field. He is the one man Queensland fear unreservedly and the way others benefit from the attention given to him cannot be understated.

Latrell Mitchell might have been missing from Origin for some time, yet on Wednesday night it looked like he had never left. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

After a shaky start to his Origin coaching career. Michael Maguire proved that he does have the nous and a coaching team around him to construct a winning game plan.

The selection of hard-working, sacrificial and selfless toilers in the pack in the forms of Liam Martin, Cameron Murray, Isaah Yeo, Angus Crichton and captain Jake Trbojevic represents his understanding of the gritty stuff that needs to be done before the explosive talent takes over.

There is not a selfish man anywhere in numbers eight through 17 and the way Maguire undertook selection for this series has not always been New South Wales’ approach.

Payne Haas also fits that mould, despite now standing unquestionably as the most effective and dynamic front-rower in the game. It was another masterclass from the 24-year-old Bronco, with 54 minutes of power resulting in 186 running metres and 79 post-contact.

Statistically, the numbers from Origin II prove that tackle breaks is the most indicative metric of success in modern rugby league. Currently, the Panthers, Sharks, Storm and Roosters sit one to four in tackle breaks in the NRL and occupy the top four spots on the ladder.

Payne Haas charges into the Maroons. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

On Wednesday night, New South Wales smashed their way through 54 tackles compared to the Maroons 23 in a momentum building performance with ball in hand. The lop-sided statistic exists whenever a flogging plays out and is indicative of a team simply not bringing the defensive attitude required to the contest.

The most crucial lesson learned from Origin II is that expert motivator and passionate Queenslander Billy Slater now has some serious coaching to do.

The Blues sliced and diced through the Maroon defence with ease. The lines they ran and co-ordinated set plays were astute, with Slater’s men reading poorly in defence at times and failing to stick tackles, based on the fact they were off-balance due to the speed and precision with which Luai and Moses controlled the narrative.

Slater can certainly get a team up for the contest and will need to do so in a few week’s time, yet more than ever before, he needs to also find some tactical answers to what the Blues were able to do to a team that looked below their standard.

Origin II proved plenty, as will the third and deciding fixture on July 17. The good news is that we can all sit around and pontificate as to what will play out and then be completely wrong. Such is Origin and the greatest game of all.