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NSW Blues player ratings vs Queensland | State of Origin II
By AAP
Brad Fittler’s Blues levelled the series at Optus Stadium in Perth with a resounding 44-12 win after a second half blitz put the Maroons away, bringing back memories of the 2019 clash between the two sides at the same stadium.
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The Blues had to play catch up when Queensland scored the first try of the game but they hit back quickly through debutant Matt Burton latching onto a smart grubber kick from Nathan Clearly.
Just two points separated the side at halftime with the Blues leading 14-12 before a landslide of tries, including two to halfback Nathan Cleary, put the Blues result beyond doubt.
Here’s how the NSW Blues rated in Perth in Origin II:
1 James Tedesco – 8
A strong all-round game saw him run for 191m and bust 10 tackles, his work in the backfield helping his side take over late in the piece.
2 Brian To’o – 9
Crucial in the territory game, chewing through a whopping 228 metres and busting seven tackles, while an early try-saving hit helped set the tone for the Blues.
3 Matt Burton – 8.5
Brilliant Origin debut including a try and a smart assist for To’o’s try with an spectacular catch pass, while he unleashed bombs via the foot that troubled the Queensland backs and added another key element to the Blues’ game.
4 Stephen Crichton – 5
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Struggled to get involved and was rarely threatening deep in attack, potentially making him vulnerable to be dropped ahead of the series decider.
5 Daniel Tupou – 9
Herculean effort running the ball in the back field for 187m with eight tackle busts, his intense effort well and truly earning his second-half try.
6 Jarome Luai – 7
Shook off a poor first half that included a loose carry, a missed tackle that led to a Queensland try and giving away a cheap penalty that led to another with a superb solo try in the second.
7 Nathan Cleary – 10
His masterpiece included a genius kick to assist the Blues’ first try and his exceptional vision made another with a lofted pass for Tupou to score in the corner. His complete kicking game was on show throughout, while he capped things off with two brilliant running tries.
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8 Payne Haas – 6
Led a hot forward-pack effort early with 105m, running with vigour as usual as he set the tone for the night.
9 Api Korisau – 5
Dummy-half work helped free up his teammates to shine, but didn’t do much outside of that.
10 Jake Trbojevic – 7
Was busy early on his return to the side, most importantly in defence with 27 tackles, where his elite energy led a much-improved effort from the Blues.
11 Cameron Murray – 7
Suffered a huge shot across the chin and ear and left for an HIA, but returned for 78m running and delivered some big shots defensively in a 25-tackle showing.
12 Liam Martin – 6
Had some effort plays including a huge kick chase as pressure mounted, although he did miss three tackles.
13 Isaah Yeo – 8.5
Stellar on both sides of the ball, defensively perfect making 29 tackles without missing one while he also ran for 92.
14 Damian Cook – 5
Injected in the shadows of halftime and his energy helped the Blues lift when they needed to, although he lacked any real individual moments.
15 Angus Crichton – 6.5
Took a stray boot to the chin on 15 minutes but returned to bring heat in the middle and scored the easiest of tries late in the piece.
16 Junior Paulo – 7.5
Brought immediate energy off the bench with some bruising runs, producing a particularly angry 129m that provided the energy NSW needed.
17 Siosifa Talakai – 5
Came on with 17 minutes to play and made a couple of runs without any highlights.
-Alex Mitchell/AAP
