What a night it was for Queensland Rugby League fans!
And how many would have been expecting it?
There is something very special about a win against the odds.
After being soundly beaten in the opening game at home, we had the skinniest of wins in Perth when we were ‘saved by the bell’— well, by the final whistle to be precise.
So there was little reason to expect a dominant victory last night (9 July) in enemy territory.
But that is exactly what transpired.
The whole team were heroes— as they needed to be.
Captain Cameron Munster was a hero for just turning up to play, given the grief he was feeling.
And Tom Dearden was at his freakish best and thoroughly deserved his Man of the Series award.
He and fellow try-scorer, Harry Grant, showed that size doesn’t really matter in Rugby League.
It’s the heart that counts!
I cannot think of a single player who didn’t play his part with distinction, and it is almost offensive to mention individuals.
But Gympie watchers would have been justifiably proud of local prodigy Tino’s tireless, determined aggression.
And I must admit that I thought both wingers made major contributions in attack, while Valentine Holmes was particularly damaging in defence.
But then the whole team played their part in tackling everything that moved in blue.
‘Comparisons are odious,’ as the saying goes.
But I don’t think I’ve missed watching a State of Origin Series since it was designed by Queensland Rugby League Supremo, the late Senator Ron McAuliffe, and Roma legend, the great Artie Beetson, led the Maroons onto the field for the first game.
And last night’s win was definitely one for the archives.
– Merv Welch,
The Palms.
