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State of Origin 3 - Melbourne 2006 - Strange things gone South

After a lacklustre start to a lacklustre series, QLD opened up the game with an early try borne of a crafty kick into the NSW zone. Four points up looked like a handy lead in a low scoring game riddled with mistakes.

And that kind of thing isn't going to impress a state that isn't terribly "into" Rugby League. The amount of seats given away on the street to avoid empty seats on the television has not been disclosed.

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State of Origin 2 - Danger Strikes in Boganland

No joy could come to the team supported by a vandal willing to paint a town's icon two shades of blue in preparation for a match. This is certainly true for the first half where NSW failed to gain any points whatsoever in response to the QLD score of 14.

It started with some heavy pressure from the QLD defence right off the first kick. Costly NSW errors saw costly QLD points scored. Any team who screws up that badly in the first minute of a game deserves an uphill battle in the second half. Two tries and one penalty aside, there is no spark in this game.

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State of Origin 3: The Savage Caress of the Ill-Coiffured

With the series at 1-1, one would think that the advantage would lie with the home crowd. And, ugly and stupid as the may be, QLD ignored this, and just didn't have it in them to win the game. Looking at the half time score, one would also think "Zounds and Gadzooks! Aren't Queensland going to join us here at Suncorp?".

Thoughts like these were scarcely thinkable 15 seconds into the game. Possession kept getting thrown back at QLD, who managed not necessarily to completely bollocks things up, but at the same time, fail to score. It was Minichiello who interrupted this lopsided possession with a length of the field run that would end up in a penalty, and the beginning of a NSW points avalanche.

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State of Origin 2: When bad haircuts unite

The pre-match gibberish fits right into this era of over-communication and over-the-top media analysis of sport. Is it really necessary to think about every aspect? Why do so many people need to talk about one game before and after. This game is "important", though, should NSW wish to square the series, and if promoters wish to sell tickets to the final game.

The teams lined up during the anthem and gave away nothing about pre-match jitters, nerves or caffeine related shakes. There's a theory that teams wearing red have a psychological advantage over those they meet. This sort of thing, despite a terribly wobbly start by NSW, does not seem to be causing any trouble. A possible early try to QLD would bounce into an area that would be of no use to either team.

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Bulldogs v Roosters - 2004 NRL Grand Final

This weekend's game had allsorts getting their ugly skulls into the press—Gordon Tallis making strange predictions and offering advice on how to play the game. All well and good from the comfort of the stands, one might say. Brad Fittler's prodigal father also managing to return to make "news" on this weekend; not tips on who to watch or how to play from him. Nor any hints on avoiding child maintenance for that matter…

Irrelevant! Like most of this long weekend when compared to the Grand Final. For some, it's the biggest weekend of the year. For others, i.e. the followers of the Teams What Are Not Worthy, it's "just another game." There's always next season for you—better luck with your loyalty decisions then. For others who don't like the sport at all, there's always the option of protesting the game and its players with odd rhetoric written on a chalkboard and displayed in the safety of your own pharmacy (if that's how you want to deal with things...).

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State of Origin #3: The Cry of the Fearless

The buildup to this game was moderate; nothing hung in the balance. This is probably the main factor in the disappointing performance, I’m sure others will agree, of the NSW team.

The regular media did their best to bring attention to the game with less necessary stories about the referee and the state of the pitch, but it was to no avail. Footage of men inspecting the ground in suits didn’t fool anyone; you can’t inspect the integrity of a playing surface in a suit and dress shoes.

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State of Origin Game 2: Gravy Train in the Mire

With the fallout from the first game in the series and the build up to the second becoming a shadow for all other stories in the media, it may come as a surprise that kick-off time was forgotten. Driving to the place of viewing at a bastardly pace listening to that magnificent second movement of the 9th symphony of the old Ludwig Van is the best way to bring to a peak all the senses.

One minute and 49 seconds is easy time to catch up on. The pre-game analyses had the advantage in different hands, as rain would make the game a different story. Grip would be lost and passes would be shorter with a heavier reliance upon the kicking game. That is what all sources agreed upon. But the first try of the game came as a complete shock to all who witnessed.

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State of Origin Game 1: the Sand also Rises

The game started out as any other; the anthem, a whistle and then a kick. But what followed for about 10 minutes was some boring football. Nerves and wariness were written all over the face and neck of "origin newcomer" Minichiello, as every kick was aimed deliberately down his throat. Queensland managed to put NSW asleep to achieve their first try. And I guess it was a justifiable tactic; the most boring side shall emerge the victor.

A new stadium with new grass would, for some reason, see a lot of sand go into a lot of shorts. Annoyance multiplied by a factor of sweatiness, and constant rolling upon the ground.

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