Who was going to call the shots? First fiddle, second fiddle, on-ball, off-ball, your shout or mine?
Of all the predictions about how Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses would combine as the ultimate blue-chip NSW halves pairing, not one nailed it.
Fair enough too, considering the biggest impact from either million-dollar No.7 came from the shoulders of the Eels skipper.
In a game with 23 errors and 15 penalties, tense but hardly terrific, Moses’ defence shone brightest from the Blues scrumbase.
Very Origin. And very much needed. Never more so than when Jeremiah Nanai was tryline-bound at the 20-minute mark, with Moses the only man in his path.
The NSW No.6 never looked like missing. Cut the Cowboy down like Clint Eastwood in his gunslinging prime. With NSW holding all the ball, all the field position but only a 2-0 lead at that point, it was a telling play.
Mitchell Moses shone in defence in the No.6 jersey.Credit: Getty Images
When Brian To’o’s dubious sin-binning, “ridiculous” as Phil Gould called it in commentary, left NSW with 12 men and teetering, Moses again muscled up on his line.
He was there to spoil a chipped kick that Nanai was making a beeline for. And there again when Tino Fa’asuamaleaui came charging at him with 20 kilos and counting in the Queenslander’s favour.
Neither Moses nor Cleary shot the lights out in attack. Cleary’s bread and butter, his oh so reliable boot, was anything but. The Penrith maestro’s kicks seemed off – only slightly, but enough – all night.
Even the kick for Zac Lomax’s one-handed take to deliver the match-winning try lobbed a foot shorter than it should have.
NSW halfback Nathan Cleary.Credit: Getty Images
From the tee, Cleary has kicked his goals at better than 90 per cent this season. By the time Dylan Edwards was crossing after miracle efforts from Lomax and Connor Watson to get him the ball, Cleary had only kicked one goal from four attempts and handed duties to the Eels winger.
Again though, it was no game for halves. So Cleary joined Moses in defending like a bigger, meaner man.
He was in the thick of Valentine Holmes being shoved into touch when Queensland chased a breakthrough try. And again there to force an error from Kalyn Ponga deep in Maroons territory.
Anyway, anyhow, especially at Suncorp Stadium. Otherwise, the halves dynamic did go as expected. Cleary was on-ball more often than not, registering 62 touches to Moses’ 41.
Mitchell Moses was busy on Wednesday night.Credit: Getty Images
Moses handled in the try for To’o, Cleary in both of Lomax’s. This performance won’t dispel the notion that he’s yet to truly dominate the Origin arena. It doesn’t matter though given they’re up 1-0 with games to play in Perth and Sydney.
When Paul Gallen bailed up Moses after full-time, he told him this was the first time since 1997-98 that NSW has won twice on the trot in Brisbane.
“You’ve been there for both of them,” Gallen pointed out.
Moses duly praised his forwards and rued a seven-tackle set one of his poor kicks gave away. When NSW needed it though, the No.6 was there, shoulders and all.
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