Within moments of NSW coach Laurie Daley naming his team for Origin I, Blues fans were salivating over what loomed as one of the all-time great backlines.
But, it’s one thing to look good on paper, and another to put it together in a series opener in front of 52,483 Queenslanders at Suncorp Stadium.
How would Daley’s men combine, under pressure, in the cauldron?
When you consider halves Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary had never previously played together, and that the latter had not pulled on a Blues jersey in almost two years, questions lingered.
In the end, supporters south of the border need not have worried. The crowning moment of the night came in the 29th minute when they toyed with the Queensland defence to create a memorable try for winger Brian To’o.
With NSW leading 6-0, they were gifted the ball in prime attacking position when Queensland hooker Harry Grant knocked on after a dummy-half scamper.
The eighth Immortal, Andrew Johns, had already predicted what would come next in his game-day column for this masthead.
“If NSW are able to target [Daly] Cherry-Evans and exploit the champion halfback’s inconsistent defensive movement, then the Blues are well on their way to victory and defending the Origin shield,” he wrote.
Johns added that Cherry-Evans’ edge had been “successfully exploited” by NSW in the past two series, and that the veteran half’s defence has been “put under the microscope”.
Brian To’s celebrates his first-half try.Credit: Getty Images
Given DCE was defending alongside a debutant in Roosters centre Robert Toia, they may as well have taken the field with targets on their jerseys.
And so it proved.
After a quick Isaah Yeo play-the-ball, Cleary shifted the ball to Moses, whom Cherry-Evans was marking.
As noted by Nine commentator Cameron Smith, DCE was too quick out of the blocks, creating a staggered defensive line.
Latrell Mitchell got the job done for the Blues.Credit: Getty Images
Quick as a flash, Moses linked with Latrell Mitchell, and alarm bells started ringing in the Queensland coaching box.
In one motion, Mitchell caught the ball and delivered a pinpoint pass that presented winger Brian To’o with an acre of space and a sprint to the line.
The Penrith powerhouse launched himself for the corner and planted the ball down one-handed, celebrating in trademark style.
It was only upon watching the replay, which revealed decoy runs by both Payne Haas and Angus Crichton, that it became apparent this was a set play, most likely rehearsed during the Blues’ 10 days in camp.
As Johns noted: “That’s as good as it gets.”
Now they head to Perth, where a victory will wrap up a second successive series triumph.
DCE should know by now what’s coming his way in three weeks’ time. Whether the oldest player in Origin history can withstand it remains to be seen.
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