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Message: [QUOTE="Big Pete, post: 2590708, member: 1899"] [B]Origin 2002[/B] Was sort of like the Empire Strikes back. Sure, Queensland pulled off a pretty incredible series win in 2001, but the Blues were about to welcome back Joey Johns and had brought in Gould (who can look like Palpatine on his off days) to mastermind a great Blues performance. He achieved that but it seemed like he put a lot of his marbles into that one game at Olympic Park. They played well that night NSW, but you got the sense that it was their best shot, Queensland still had plenty of improvement in them and they weren't going to receive the same rub of the green at ANZ Stadium. I thought the Maroons basically responded the best way possible and would have racked up a similar score if it wasn't for the performance of 20 year old Justin Hodges who just had a nightmare of a debut. You had to feel for him that night, thrown into the deep end and just every instinct he had that night was wrong. Thankfully Tuqiri had a blinder and I thought the forwards put in a strong all-round effort to deny NSW the opportunity of sealing a series win. It all set up for an amazing series decider which delivered. It's still my favourite game of all time and one of the most influential in modern times given it paved the way for golden point. I thought it was a very even contest, with the Maroons playing slightly better football but lacking the weapons that NSW had at their disposal. However, once Webby went over, NSW were well and truly on the back-foot and the game should have been over when Lockyer planted the ball down in one of the best efforts you'll ever see. Of course, it didn't work out that way and the match ended in a draw but everybody knew who the winners were that night. I find it petty how the Blues play it off as a draw and Tallis had to hold the shield with Johns. There was only one state celebrating that night and it sure wasn't the one dressed in Blue. But yeah, a phenominal match with so many different moments and stories - seeing Tallis mouth off to that section of the crowd with that disgusting and stupid sign about his mother was one of the most satisfying moments in Rugby League history. [B]Origin 2003 [/B]The big follow after all the hoopla in 2002 and I don't think there was a better stage than the refurbished Lang Park. Indeed, I think it stole the show and really gave the game an electric atmosphere that the players fed into and put in a fantastic performance filled with great moments. In the end, I just think the Blues had a better team. Queensland went into the game comparatively weaker than last year minus Tuqiri, Langer and despite the efforts of their replacements, they couldn't quite match the Blues on the occasion. Still a great game and worth a rewatch. Meanwhile, the second game was a complete anti-climax. The Blues played well, Queensland were flat and they won comfortably. Phil Bailey clobbering Shane Webcke basically sums that entire game up for me. Origin III was a silver lining. A great performance capped off by the emergence of a new generation of players in Smith, Hannay & Bowen. A fun consolation summed up by Gommersall's two thumbs up which suggested there was plenty of fight left in the Maroons after their listless effort last start. [B]Origin 2004[/B] A strange series looking back on it. Both teams entered a little weak either due to injury or off-field behaviour so a lot of rookies were thrown into the mix, some played well, others didn't. Game 1 was a real war of attrition, NSW were reeling from the omissions of Mini & Gaz while Queensland had to adjust to life without Lockyer. It made for a pretty tense but ordinary game with a memorable finish which Blues fans will cherish while Maroons fans would consider deflating. It didn't feel right that Queensland had put forward such a full hearted effort and scored more tries, only to have it snatched like that. Game II felt like a much bigger deal with the returns of Lockyer and Freddy into their respective sides and it delivered. Evenly poised right up until that play from Slater who had a sensational game on the wing. To this day, one of the best tries in Origin history and one of those moments that makes fans out of spectators. Blues were in it on the scoreboard, but mentally they were gone and Gus realised it when he walked up the tunnel before the game was over. I thought that was pretty poor from Gus. Every other game, Gus had no issue with reminding people that this was his team and he was going to celebrate as if he gave his body for 80 minutes but the moment it got tough, he was gone. Was anybody's guess heading into Game III but it turned into a Blues massacre and Freddy got to bow out the right way. Outside of the opening exchanges, I didn't think the Blues were in it and thought their best opportunity would have come through Mini being binned, which should have happened but didn't. I thought the St. George connection was pretty strong here and they won them the game really. Was sort of like the Blues version of Alfie's return, except not as dramatic given it felt like Freddy had three bites of the cherry. It was also the final game of Gus' coaching career and in typical Gus fashion he basically used his team's performance to spearhead a rant against the media. I thought that was pretty crappy at the time, would be interested to see now if he had a bit of a point like Mal did in 2011. [/QUOTE]

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