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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 2755591, member: 1899"] 9-4 NSW errors tells the story. They threw a lot at the Maroons, but at the end of the day, they just didn't have the cohesion. This was highlighted on numerous examples, whether it was Klemmer playing flat to Fifita who lost it, Maloney going himself when Walker and Ferguson were into space and losing it, or the numerous examples of the Blues throwing the ball over the sideline The other talking point was how it really was a game of inches. Gagai came desperately close to going over the sideline for the first try, he barely grounded the ball for his third and Jennings only just got a touch on the ball to deny NSW a try that could have decided the entire series. I think the Blues were a touch unlucky, had the referees made a deal about Cronk interfering with Frizell or Gagai's suss grounding then the result may have been different. Which isn't to deny the greatness of this Maroons outfit. As Chris Garry wrote in his article, the biggest change Kev has made to the Maroons is how they're a threat on both sides of the park. With Mal, the Maroons were far more successful down the left hand side with Inglis and Boyd bagging 33 tries together. This series it's 4-1 to the right side. The key has been Kev's ability to exploit Jennings' defence and his tendency to rush up and fail to get his man. We've seen this in Broncos game, with Ben Hunt in particular benefiting from this bad habit. For the Maroons, it's just another chapter in their amazing dynasty. Their composure and trust in one another is unlike anything I've seen. Years from now, we're going to be talking about these players in the same way that people talk about Messenger, Brown and Churchill. It seems like the big talking point after the game is the Blues having a long term plan. I do agree in a sense, but they have to be patient. The way some Blues players have been thrown under the bus for this performance suggests that they're going to go through players like water. They've got to pick the right players and stick solid with them. A player like Cartwright, Tedesco or Peats may not kill it in their first outing, but they can't just cast them aside after one bad performance. They need to be patient and build a positive culture where ball-playing and creativity is encouraged. Laurie has built a solid foundation in terms of their defence. However, if you want to win a series you cannot be on the back-foot the entire time. [/QUOTE]

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