For an hour on Wednesday night, you wanted to tell your Aussie rules friends that rugby league is better than this.
And then it was.
Queensland rode a wave of penalties before digging an almost unbreachable defensive foxhole. NSW floundered in their own indiscipline before launching an almost irresistible fightback.
When they came up for air, the Maroons’ determination to defend their lead had conquered the Blues’ efforts to catch up. Rugby league, which had looked like the loser for much of the night, ended up the winner.
The code was already pushing its luck in Perth, with local bosses barring it from the VIP lounge of mainstream sport. The poor old Bears, who don’t start in Perth for another two years: haven’t won a thing since 1922 and they’re already up against it. As former national cricket captain Greg Chappell likes to say: Great place, Perth, pity it’s not in Australia.
And yet, out of loyalty, defiance or curiosity, 60,000 committed spectators swam through a river of rain to Optus Stadium. For the first half, AFL fans found a game that they would easily recognise. Just like in the AFL, players were successfully avoiding getting tackled while holding the ball. Barely the threat of an oncoming defender was enough to bring on the dropsies. And Queensland’s team, the Brisbane Lions, are AFL champions, so the Aussie rules types would have recognised that, too.
The first half in Perth resembled a game of Aussie rules.Credit: Getty Images
For the first half of the game it was raining dropped balls, it was raining rain, but most importantly it was raining penalties for Queensland – and penalties led to tries. An 8-0 penalty count before half-time is a tide no team can survive in today’s NRL. In the first match in Brisbane three weeks ago, the balance had gone the other way, exaggerating NSW’s superiority.
In Perth, referee Ashley Klein was also, on top of the penalties, giving the Maroons all the tackle restarts they needed until they could score. After making their own share of errors they duly crossed the line four times, with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (twice), Cameron Munster and Kurt Capewell going over. Nathan Cleary appeared to respond with a four-pointer for NSW, but an obstruction meant that it was not a try, just another penalty to Queensland.
A more equitable share of second-half possession produced better quality football. The Blues, who looked like they had started the game a touch complacent, held on to the pill and stopped infringing the rules. Brian To’o went over in the left corner and Stephen Crichton in the right. Tabuai-Fidow fumbled a wicked bounce, and AFL fans asked what’s the problem with that? But as the Blues closed in, this was looking more and more like an authentic contest in anyone’s language. Real sports fans can translate across codes.
The rain eased for a moment, turning this into a proper Origin game. In a season notable for dramatic comebacks and cliffhangers, it was turning into a proper NRL game, too, such as we see several times a weekend. No need to make excuses to Western Australia now.
Brian To’o barrels over for his third try.Credit: Getty Images
Profiting from the Tabuai-Fidow error, To’o burrowed over once again. With 14 minutes to go, NSW had closed their 20-point deficit to eight. Zac Lomax kept missing the goals, and to confuse things for those AFL followers, he didn’t get a single point for a behind.
It hadn’t been a Latrell Mitchell kind of night for 70 minutes, but it’s never too late. The showman ripped a ball from Jeremiah Nanai, a display of strength that put the lie to any claim that NSW didn’t want it enough.
Two plays later, Jarome Luai’s grubber was as genteel as a leather glove for Angus Crichton to slide into. Two points was the difference now, but two points it would remain when NSW, given the chance to win, got the fumbles again.
The result has left Origin with the climax it wants and usually gets: even in the years when one team has seemed to dominate, a deciding match has been needed. Now your AFL friends might get it: the thundering desperation of those last minutes made their own case.
Rugby league arrived in Perth struggling to attract attention. It ended Wednesday night in a full-body contest, a thrilling finish, a mainstream sport and, if they’re looking for a new language to describe it, they can just call it the greatest game of all.
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