Adelaide: Blues skipper James Tedesco praised the class of opposite number Reece Walsh on debut and the brilliance of Cameron Munster for inspiring Queensland’s 26-18 win in the Origin series opener.
The Blues threw plenty of high kicks and physical pressure at Walsh in his Origin debut, but the rookie fullback handled everything that came his way with ease.
“He was really good,” Tedesco told foxsports.com.au.
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“I felt he had some really good moments that he iced and some great touches, which is what he has been doing at club level.
“He was safe as well so I thought he played really well. He didn’t let the occasion get to him.
“I thought they all played really well, so they probably got the wood over us tonight.
“He was safe and the fullback is always going to cop some pressure.
“But I thought he handled it really well.”
Munster struggled to get into the game in attack in the first half, but as he so often does he owned the big moments and came up with two try assists and a match sealing try.
“That’s Munster for you,” Tedesco said.
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“I thought he was quiet as well and then in the big moments I thought him and Walsh had some big moments and Cherry-Evans as well, so that was probably the difference in the end.
“We needed to make some big moments and keep players from their side from having them.”
Tedesco and his Blues teammates were shattered to claw their way back from 10-0 down and twice lead in the second half, before surrendering despite the Maroons being reduced to 12 men after Tom Flegler’s late sin bin.
“I felt like we got ourselves back in the game after a slow start,” Tedesco said.
“I felt like we were in control and we were winning the field position battle for most of the game.
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“We were in control until the last 10 and then we let the game slip.
“We weren’t far of, but we also weren’t at our best. We were pretty clunky. But the effort was there.
“We are definitely going to learn a few lessons and we have got everything to lose up there now.
“We have to go up there and give it all we have got. We are going to be hungrier and we have got to fight.
“If we get a win up there then we have a decider back in Sydney, so it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Blues coach Brad Fittler was surprised at his sides clunky display and Tedesco didn’t see it coming.
“It felt really good at training,” Tedesco said.
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“I guess in the heat of the moment sometimes it gets a bit clunky with that connection and clarity.
“I didn’t think it was far off. It would be easy to look back and know where we went wrong and what we can improve for the next game, but you have got to go out and execute in the heat of battle when everyone is tired and fatigued, so that will be on us.”
Fittler looked to take the loss hard and Tedesco almost felt guilty for the Blues letting the game get away from them in the championship minutes.
“Same us we felt like we were in control until the last 10,” Tedesco said of Fittler.
“They got a sin bin and we felt like we were in control and then we let the game slip, so that’s on us.
“I felt like we didn’t start very well, which hurt us a bit, but we clawed our way back and got ourselves in front and then again we didn’t finish it off.”
Nicho Hynes didn’t get on until very late and Tedesco explained his absence, while paying tribute to the other two debutants in Tevita Pangai Jr and Hudson Young.
“I thought Tevita was real good,” Tedesco said.
“When he is going forward he is pretty hard to contain so I thought he was really good.
“Hudson Young was really good as well. They both worked really hard.
“Nicho was obviously limited. We probably wanted to get him on in the middle some time, but it is hard coming on in the last 10 and you have got a lot of traffic coming your way and our guys didn’t have many opportunities.”
