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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 2726182, member: 1899"] State of Origin Game I NSW 14; QUEENSLAND 6 at the Sydney Football Stadium New South Wales tore a leaf from Queensland’s Origin textbook to take the opening match 14-6, building the win on courage and mateship. The Blues withstood the loss of strike players Bradley Clyde and Laurie Daley and the absence of hooker Ben Elias, banished to the blood bin, to record a two-tries-to-one victory over a Queensland side who were also struck with their share of injuries. The match will be remembered as one of the most brutal in Origin contests. Images of Elias, his face covered in blood, beamed into millions of holmes via television. Queensland lock Gary Larson left the field on a stretcher, prop Steve Jackson was assisted off with severe concussion. It was a match where football took a back seat to trench warfare. Indeed there was only a few moments of footballing brilliance to permeate the fierce forward exchanges. Queensland winger Willie Carne made a deep incursion into NSW territory following a Blues drop-out. NSW centre Paul McGregor made two damaging runs out wide and Maroons fullback Dale Shearer executed a memorable tackle on blockbusting Blues’ winger Graham Mackay. NSW scored first, a rehearsed move saw Bradley Clyde catch Mal Meninga flat-footed and he was able to skin the Queensland skipper to score out-wide. Rod Wishart’s conversion was a boomer. Queensland responded with a try to Allan Langer in the 25[SUP]th[/SUP] minute. Prop Gavin Allen, one of the Maroons’ best on the night, freed an arm to slip a pass to the ever-present Langer who zipped between the posts to score. The intensity level of the second half was no different from the first. Referee David Manson’s scant attention to the five-metre rule contributed to the slog, but as the game wore on it appeared the Blues forwards, led by Glenn Lazarus and Paul Harrogan, were gaining the edge. Wishart lifted a penalty goal through the uprights at the 58[SUP]th[/SUP]-minute mark to give the Blues a two-pojnt lead. And soon after, some sustained pressure inside the Queensland quarter produced a try for replacement forward Craig Salvatori, only a minute after he came onto the field for 14-6 and in a match of such ardour, eight points always looked like a winning margin. The Blues attributed their win to mateship, a quality Queensland used to devastating effect in previous series. According to second-rower John Cartwright, a couple of late-night drinking sessions while the team was in camp bonded the Blues into a committed outfit. “It’s a tough job and you have 13 blokes out there to do it…it’s much easier when the guys that are out there with you are your mates,” he said. Hooker Ben Elias took the match-of-the-match award after a brilliant game at dummy-half, in which he clearly overshadowed incumbent Test hooker Steve Walters. “At halftime Phil Gould said to us that we have heard about that Queensland jumper for years, take a look at your own. It’s time to stand up for it,” Elias said. Young halfback John Simon, acquitted himself well, with his kicking game an effective weapon. Simon’s Illawarra team-mate Paul McGregor also made an impressive debut. For Queensland, Allen, Peter Jackson and Langer stood out. New South Wales 14 (Clyde, Salvatori tries; Wishart 3 goals) defeated Queensland 6 (Langer try; Meninga goal) Queensland Dale Shearer, Michael Hancock, Mal Meninga, Peter Jackson, Willie Carne Kevin Walters, Allan Langer Martin Bella, Steve Walters, Steve Jackson, Bob Lidner, Trevor GIllmeister, Gary Larson Interchange: Mark Coyne, Gary Coyne, Steve Renouf, Gavin Allen New South Wales Andrew Ettingshausen, Graham Mackay, Brad Fittler, Paul McGregor, Rod Wishart Laurie Daley, John Simon Glenn Lazarus, Ben Elias, Paul Harragon, Paul Sironen, John Cartwright, Brad Clyde Interchange: Robbie McCormack, Craig Salvatori, Brad Mackay, David Gillespie [/QUOTE]

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