State of Origin 2015: The decider

NSW Blues forward David Klemmer will be expecting a hostile reception next week.

We are five days away from one of the most anticipated sporting fixtures left on the 2015 calendar. 

The State of Origin series will conclude next Wednesday night at Suncorp Stadium, or ‘The Cauldron’ to some, with the stakes higher than ever in a decider.

Game One brought us a classic arm wrestle not quite typically played in the normal fast-paced tempo and mongrel that we usually affiliate an Origin match with.

The Maroons had Cooper Cronk to thank in a man of the match performance, despite hooker Cameron Smith receiving the official award, for steering his side to a second half comeback.

Cronk slotted the winning field goal that was ultimately the difference giving the Maroons a one-point 11-10 win and series lead heading south to Melbourne for Game Two.

It was far from the reason for the Maroons’ loss, but the absence of the Melbourne halfback at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was evident with stand-in halfback Daly Cherry-Evans failing to deputise Cronk sufficiently.

Game Two also saw both the Morris brothers return to the field together for the first time this year in a Blues jersey.

With the likes of Josh Dugan, Michael Jennings, and two Morris brothers on the same team let alone the same field, points were not going to be an issue down in Melbourne for the Blues – and it showed with three of those four players scoring tries in the 26-18 win.

Fast forward to next Wednesday and we have Cronk back in the picture but superstar Billy Slater ruled out for the rest of the NRL season.

There is no doubt that the Storm fullback will be missed, but Mal Meninga’s small reshuffle shouldn’t affect a Maroons squad that still well and truly has its core players available.

Greg Inglis is set to move into the vacancy left at fullback, where he has played club footy for years, while Newcastle Knights centre Dane Gagai has proved he is ready to be blooded into the Queensland side with a debut call-up.

On the other side of the park, the only position the Blues will have to worry about is the uncertainty of Robbie Farah’s right hand that now contains a plate and a screw as a result of an injury incurred against Penrith Panthers last week.

The seriousness of Farah’s situation is certainly clear with Michael Ennis, Josh Reynolds, Ryan Hinchcliffe on standby in the Blues camp in Coffs Harbour.

So let’s take a look at some of the key match-ups to expect next week in Brisbane to wrap-up this year's Series.

KEY MATCH-UPS

 

Josh Papalii v David Klemmer

Brace yourselves for this duel. When Queensland named Canberra Raiders front-rower Papalii into the line-up, I am pretty sure that every Queenslander licked its lips in satisfaction. With the recent outbursts of Klemmer in the media, Papalii has been labelled as the Maroons ‘hit man’ to put Klemmer back in his place. Klemmer’s energy and agility for a big man has made a huge impact for NSW this series and if he performs again in ‘The Cauldron’ then the Blues will go a long way to winning this one. 

Cooper Cronk v Trent Hodkinson 

 

The battle of the halves is nearly always a certainty in any game. Cronk will be looking to emulate what he did in Sydney for Game One while we are finally seeing what Hodkinson is capable of with a commendable performance for the Bulldogs last weekend. The kicking game of these two will be crucial just as Johnathan Thurston’s and Mitchell Pearce’s will be. I just get that the feeling that if Hodkinson can keep his nerve with thousands of Maroons booing him in the crowds, the Blues will get up. But if we see the Cronk from Game One coupled with the magic of Thurston, it could get nasty for NSW.

Robbie Farah v Cameron Smith

After watching Melbourne Storm get dominated in all aspects against the Bulldogs at Belmore Oval last Monday night, Smith would have been keen as ever to escape the disappointment surrounding his club. Smith tried his hardest to spark his team last week but even the best hooker in the world could not find the creativity for points. We know what Farah can be capable of but what we don't know is how handicapped he will be until kick-off. There wiis bound to be a crosshair on his back, just like Slater in Melbourne due to his shoulder. The telling point between these two will be whether who can have the most influence over the full 90 minutes - if they last.

Josh Dugan v Greg Inglis

 

 

 

 

The New South Welshman needs to put in a big shift if his team are to get a result away from home. Dugan is on a great run of form and coach Laurie Dailey will be confident the Dragons fullback can cope with the unfriendly playing atmosphere coming his way. At the opposite end, Inglis does not necessarily have to play brilliantly for Queensland to win. However we can be sure that if he does, it's game over for the Blues. With Inglis' shift to number one, the Souths player will be guaranteed numerous opportunities to run with the ball from the kick-return. We have seen it time and time again that it only takes a split second for GI to break through. The Blues will not claim victory if they cannot manage to contain the running giant.

 

QLD line-up: 1. Greg Inglis, 2. Darius Boyd, 3. Will Chambers, 4. Justin Hodges, 5. Dane Gagai, 6. Johnathon Thurston, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Matt Scott, 9. Cameron Smith, 10. Nate Myles, 11. Aidan Guerra, 12. Sam Thaiday, 13. Corey Parker, 14. Michael Morgan, 15. Josh Papalii, 16. Matt Gillett, 17. Jacob Lillyman. 18th man - Edrick Lee

NSW line-up: 1. Josh Dugan, 2. Will Hopoate, 3. Michael Jennings, 4. Josh Morris, 5. Brett Morris, 6. Mitchell Pearce, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. Aaron Woods, 9. Robbie Farah, 10. James Tamou, 11. Beau Scott, 12. Ryan Hoffman, 13. Paul Gallen, 14. Trent Merrin, 15. Boyd Cordner, 16. David Klemmer, 17. Josh Jackson. Emergencies - Josh Reynolds, Michael Ennis, and Ryan Hinchcliffe.