QLD Maroons are bringing him back

State of Origin Game 3: QLD Maroons vs NSW Blues full preview and prediction

The decider is upon us for the 2024 State of Origin series, with the New South Wales Blues looking to overthrow history to stop the Queensland Maroons from claiming a third consecutive Shield win.

Historically, the Blues win Origin in straight sets, or they don’t win very much at all.

In fact, in the 22 deciders played throughout State of Origin history, the Blues have managed just five victories.

That record takes another tumble when you hone in on Brisbane. At Suncorp Stadium, or Lang Park as it is otherwise known, New South Wales have won just 2 of 12 games. It’s 2 of 13 total in Brisbane given the 2001 decider was played at the QEII Stadium.

Simply put, the Blues don’t get deciders. They don’t even hold a winning record in Sydney, where they have won just three out of eight.

That all said, statistics can only account for so much, because New South Wales bring all the momentum to the Queensland capital after putting on an absolute blitz during Game 2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It was a performance that, realistically, had to be seen to be believed. Breaking the record for the most points in the first half of an Origin ever, the Blues took their foot off the gas after halftime, but the game was already gone.

Playing with aggression from the outset, the Blues never let the Maroons into the contest and turned heads after sticking with the Maroons for much of Game 1 despite only having 12 players on the park.

That led to suggestions the Maroons needed to find a way in their team selection to be not out-muscled in Game 2, but that hasn’t been the case, with Billy Slater refusing to make more than a single unforced change.

It was aggression combined with Mitchell Moses’ kicking game which steered the Blues to a Game 2 victory, and they will be heavily reliant on the same again while also silencing a pharocial crowd.

That corwd will be wiped into a frenzy if Daly Cherry-Evans and his teammates, particularly star fullback Reece Walsh, are anywhere near their best.

Granted, with a forward pack likely to be out-matched, they will have to be if they are going to lift the Shield in front of their home fans at the conclusion of Wednesday night’s decider.

 

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