State of Origin – game two
New South Wales (12) 24
Tries: Staggs, Nawaqanitawase 2, Barnett Goals: Cleary 4
Queensland (8) 44
Tries: Loiero, Cobbo 3, Fifita, Tabuai-Fidow, Collins Goals: Walker 8
Selwyn Cobbo grabbed a second-half hat-trick as Queensland produced an exhilarating comeback against New South Wales to level the State of Origin series in Melbourne.
Dolphins winger Cobbo enjoyed the night of his life as the Maroons scored 36 points after the interval – and put behind them the pain of their late defeat in Sydney two weeks ago.
Sam Walker, making only his second Origin appearance, produced an outstanding kicking display – ending with a 100% record as he converted all seven of Queensland’s tries to add to an early penalty.
It was the perfect response for the Maroons who let a 20-6 lead slip two weeks ago in Sydney following full-back Kalyn Ponga’s red card and lost 22-20.
And it sets up a series decider in Brisbane on 8 July.
“It was really special to bounce back from such a tough loss in game one,” Sydney Roosters half-back Walker told Sky Sports. “I can’t wait to get out there in Brisbane.”
They fought back after a first-half wobble in which they fell 12-2 behind and lost captain Cameron Munster for a period as he had a head injury assessment – though he was cleared to return and was a key figure in the second-half revival.
New South Wales, on top for the first quarter of the match, scored four tries themselves, with two for Australia dual-code international Mark Nawaqanitawase on his Origin debut, but they were well beaten by the time Mitchell Barnett went over for a consolation score.
The Blues had responded well to an early Walker penalty, with Thomas Flegler’s fumble straight from the kick-off allowing Nawaqanitwase to nip in, draw three tacklers towards him and offload for Kotoni Staggs to burst over.
Nawaqanitawase then extended the Blues’ advantage 21 minutes in, diving in at the corner after collecting a pass out wide from Nathan Cleary, who had regathered when Munster failed to control his initial grubber kick.
But Queensland responded with a brilliant passing move – Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow breaking, Harry Grant drawing in defenders and Munster producing a superb one-handed offload, before Walker and Max Plath combined to send Trent Loiero over.
Loiero was on the receiving end of a brutal high tackle from NSW forward Victor Radley – the first England international to feature in the State of Origin following a change in eligibility rules – who only conceded a penalty when he might have been sent off.
But with Munster back in the game, Queensland powered away after half-time. His perfectly judged kick set up Cobbo’s first try, with Walker converting to edge the Maroons in front.
Then Cobbo eluded Nawaqanitawase to go over in the corner – with Walker opening the door by playing a first-time pass to Ponga seemingly without looking – before Jojo Fifita timed his jump to climb high above Brian To’o and gather another deft Munster kick to score.
Nawaqanitawase outsmarted three Maroons opponents with a clever stop-and-shuffle manoeuvre to dive over by the flag for his second try.
But Tabuai-Fidow scored his 13th try in 12 Origin appearances, set up by Cobbo, to end any hopes of a Blues revival.
Staggs was sin-binned – and lucky not to be sent off – for a high shot on Ponga in the build-up to that try.
And with NSW crumbling, Grant darted through and sent Lindsay Collins clear between the posts to score, before Cobbo produced some acrobatics in the corner to complete his hat-trick – the try given on video review as he just managed to ground the ball.