Ricky Stuart and Andrew Johns’ blueprint powers Brisbane Origin to decisive victory

Queensland opened the game with four tackles in the first innings, but New South Wales made the next 27 tackles, aided by a three-game restart by the blues players following a short pass error.

Power play Tonie Carroll collected a short pass from Lockyer and would have scored if not for desperate defending by New South Wales forward Jason Ryles.

“This is a disastrous start for NSW!” the great Ray Warren roared in commentary on Channel Nine.

It turns out that, far from being disastrous, this actually put them on the right track.

Lockyer, frustrated with his team’s inability to score, shoveled the ball out on his third tackle, and defender Anthony Minichiello snatched the ball on his own line and advanced downfield before being tackled at the 20-metre line.

A few minutes later, the Blues got a penalty kick.

After back-row player Craig Fitzgibbon kicked the first point of the game, the Maroons’ morale took a hit and they never recovered.

“We’re just passionate and hungry,” Stewart said. “We’ve got what Queensland thinks they have. We’ve got the passion to do whatever we have to do.

“In the first five minutes of the game, we didn’t have the ball, but our defense gave us the energy and passion to win the game. Special moments come from special efforts. The saves and the hard work in defense set the foundation for the rest of the game.”

New South Wales scored before half-time through Blaise Anasta, Mark Gasnier and Matt King, while the Maroons didn’t break through the Thurston defence until the 73rd minute.

“The most rewarding thing about being there is keeping the crowd quiet,” Johns said. “When they go quiet, you know you’re on to something big. It’s a test for us inexperienced guys who haven’t played there before. You can listen to former players and coaches talk about how hostile it is there, but you never know until your feet hit the ground for the first time.”

“We completely destroyed the Queensland attack in that 2005 game and it was a real letdown for the crowd. They had so much of the ball and couldn’t score and it was heartbreaking,” Stewart said.

The 32-10 win was only New South Wales’ second in a Brisbane decider. The first came in 1994 when Stuart was at halfback and Phil Gould was coach.

Just like in 2005, this year too, the Blues lost the first match but equalised in the next match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The Maroons were given an extra incentive in the decider of Mal Meninga’s last Origin appearance.

“You have to earn big moments in Origin, but there aren’t that many opportunities in Origin because it’s an end-to-end battle,” Stewart said. “The opportunities are limited. The team that has the individuals who can make the most of those limited opportunities has a greater advantage.”

“It comes back to the quality of the players. You need your centre-forward to be dominant. That leads to field position, your centre-forward can dominate the middle third of the pitch and then you’re suddenly in a better position to win games.

In 1994, New South Wales pulled Queensland back into the box with its first three tries.

One of those goals was a trademark trick from Laurie Daly, who scored twice with his left foot. Bradley Clyde’s other goal came from hooker Benny Elias, who intercepted a pass from Alan Langer after a Blues defender had run out of bounds.

“By winning the game you take the big moments away from your opponent,” said Stewart, who also lost the 2011 and 2012 series as coach of the Brisbane final.

The kicking game is also crucial to winning the Origin decider.

In the 2005 final, Johns kicked 11 times for 371 meters, while Anasta kicked 8 times for 284 meters. Thurston and Lockyer kicked a combined 302 meters.

By comparison, New South Wales halfback Mitchell Moses kicked 442 metres in his side’s second game of the year, a 38-18 win at the MCG. He will need to do in Brisbane what he did in Melbourne if his side are to win on Wednesday night.

“Kicks are important in every football game, but in Origin, they are even more important because getting field position is so difficult,” Stewart said. “The stakes are much greater. It ultimately comes down to your spine. Big players in big positions determine the outcome of games.”

“That’s what Origin does when it comes to making players into legends. It’s the toughest stretch in rugby league. You rely on one player to step up and take charge of the game. In 2005, that man was Andrew Johns. When he came into camp, he inspired the whole team: the intensity of training was different, the intensity of preparation was different, and so was match day.”

While the Blues have enough big-match experience to make history of their own, they don’t have the likes of Johns and Stewart in this game.

loading

As the clock ticked down in the 2005 final, Johns knew how hard it was to win and he was still giving key instructions to his teammates until the very end.

“Don’t hurt the soft tissue, kids!” he told them. “We’re drinking beer tonight.”

Watch State of Origin live and for free exclusively on Channel 9 9Now

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Subscribe to our sports newsletter.