The Real 2024 Origin Series Player Ratings: The first and only truly honest player ratings of the 2024 Origin series:
New South Wales
Mitch Barnett (7.5): Outstanding off bench in only appearance in Game 3.
Bradman Best (6): Struggled defensively but scored decisive try in only showing.
Angus Crichton (9.5): An absolute behemoth across the series. Set the tone.
Stephen Crichton (7): Defensively elite and versatile. Cornerstone.
Dylan Edwards (8.5): Man of the match in second game. More than ready.
Payne Haas (7.5): Took a while to warm into series but clearly best prop in series.
Nicho Hynes (2): Never got a fair crack but was still poor in Game 1 before dropped.
Spencer Leniu (8): Turned out just what Blues needed with huge impact off bench.
Zac Lomax (9): Thrived in the Origin arena with his goalkicking magnificent in G3.
Jarome Luai (7): Numbers didn’t show it but was critical. Best Origin game in decider.
Liam Martin (6): Set tone with intensity but missed a lot of tackles.
Cameron McInnes (4.5): Did nothing wrong in Game 1 but wasn’t right fit.
Latrell Mitchell (7.5): Played only G2 but was astonishing in a stellar performance.
Mitch Moses (9): Moses was brilliant in G2/3 with his kicking game setting up series.
Cameron Murray (8): Changed the way Blues attacked in G2/3 and defence A+.
Haumole Olakauatu (2.5): Didn’t get much time and was misused as a middle.
Reece Robson (7.5): Defensive powerhouse who laid the platform in G2/3.
Joseph Sua’alii (-10): Origin career ends at 7 mins. Cost the Blues G1.
James Tedesco (3.5): Had a chance at redemption G1 but only fair.
Brian To’o (8.5): The best winger in the game had another sublime series.
Jake Trbojevic (3): Must be one hell of a leader as unsighted on field.
Connor Watson (6.5): Tremendous off bench in both games. Key in G3.
Isaah Yeo (7): Played a strong role off bench and must better as prop than ball player.
Hudson Young (0): Two runs in 23 minutes was not good enough in the opener.
Queensland
Kurt Capewell (2.5): Not his fault but he should have been nowhere near the field.
Patrick Carrigan (9): Queensland’s best throughout the series and the clear next skipper.
Daly Cherry-Evans (6.5): Outstanding in G1 when MOM but was dreadful in decider.
Xavier Coates (5): Very good in opener but exposed badly G2 before missing G3.
Selwyn Cobbo (3): Extremely strange series but his lack of effort in G3 was telling.
Lindsay Collins (5): The heart-and-soul of the Maroons but both mins and form down.
Reuben Cotter (8.5): Absolute warrior who played huge minutes and took no prisoners.
Tom Dearden (6.5): Underrated type who was arguably Queensland’s best in G3.
Mo Fotuaika (4): Almost invisible throughout the series. Did little wrong but min impact.
Dane Gagai (-1): Gets through some work but is just not cut out for Origin now.
Harry Grant (4): Disappointing series by his lofty standards. Very poor in decider.
Valentine Holmes (0.5): Five errors and 13 missed tackles. Dreadful series. Cooked.
J’maine Hopgood (2): No impact in only appearance. Just not a short min player.
Ben Hunt (5): Decorated veteran who is nearing the end. Lacked the punch.
Felise Kaufusi (0): Scholars will look back in how he played 3 games and ask why.
Jeremiah Nanai (3.5): Worked hard and sound in attack but a defensive liability.
Kalyn Ponga (3): Give little chance in unaccustomed role with team needing points.
Jaydn Su’A (4): Probably not up to this standard but no doubting his effort. Dropped G3.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (7): Did everything this series including scoring when injured.
Murray Taulagi (6): Was very good in both games when fit though high ball an issue.
Reece Walsh (1.5): Taken out in G1, the worst on the field in G2 and poor G3.
Origin Decider One for the Ages: The first half of the Origin decider is as good as sport gets.
There has probably never been a better half of sport played anywhere on the planet in the history of time.
It was intensity personified, Origin football to its absolute core, desperate and violent and profoundly base.
Not a point was scored until a moment of stupidity gave Queensland a 2-0 lead on the stroke of halftime.
The first try was not scored until the 64th minute when two poor Queensland selections missed a key tackle and that was that.
And that is the story of the final Origin.
Both teams showed up, both teams played tough and the Blues got the breaks but it was not enough to decide it.
This was decided on poor selections from Billy Slater on the edges.
This is a loss he needs to wear, not picking David Fifita to run with Kurt Capewell was criminal and keeping Nanai instead of bringing in the tough Beau Fermor nearly as bad.
Dane Gagai has been horrendous defensively for the Knights all season and should have been nowhere near selection.
He has missed 3.8 tackles per game, behind only Brian Kelly among outside backs and his game-time changes were just strange.
The Blues deserved the win.
Michael Maguire deserves credit for improving the team in games two and three after messing up the opener.
The pressure is now on Slater to overcome whatever grievances prevented him from playing the best team available.
Titans To Reign in 2025 NRLW Season: The NRLW season kicks off on Thursday night and we are in for another gripping season before the competition once again expands in 2025.
We once again have a 10-team competition and there are only five legitimate contenders this year with the Raiders and Cowboys likely a step off those five and the Dragons, Eels and Tigers almost zero chance of playing finals football.
The Roosters enter the season favoured but they have had some key injuries led by Corban Baxter and with their finals collapses the last two years, they are a lay.
The defending premiers Newcastle have superstar Tamika Upton and she can win a premiership on her own but they are looking thin in the backs.
The team to beat and the value bet is the Titans.
They have the best middles in the comp including the Queensland front row pairing and then have a backline that features stars Jaime Chapman and Evania Pelite.
The Sharks and Broncos will battle it out for the fourth spot and the Broncos have an edge after signing middle Keilee Joseph.
Anneseley Can Stick His Excuses: Canterbury should be completely fuming today following the abhorrent performance of Gerard Sutton and video ref Peter Gough.
Key decisions the entire match went to the Cowboys on Sunday night, giving the home team a huge leg up.
Cameron Ciraldo did well to hold it together in the post-match press conference but was pointed in noting that the disruptor penalty – a moronic creation that came in from Anneseley’s team at the start of the season – remains on the books even though officials seem to have totally forgotten about it and ignored it repeatedly.
The Blake Wilson sin bin was marginal at best and it is hard to argue that it was a professional foul, particularly compared to incidents like Tom Trbojevic holding down early in the Titans game that escaped a sin bin.
Wilson made an instinctual tackle from behind without vision of the ball.
It was bad enough he was binned but for Kulikefu Finefeuiaki to not get binned for kneeing Bailey Hayward in the head was criminal and once again shows why Peter Gough should not be allowed near the Bunker.
Calling Scott Drinkwater’s obvious knock on a knock back from a dropped kick – something that is called a knock on nearly 100% of the time – would have defied belief if a long history under Sutton where the Bulldogs have won just 5 of 21 over the last decade wasn’t in the books.
Graham Anneseley will either apologise, make excuses or justify the calls on Monday and he can stick them because once again incompetent officiating cost a club.
Carige Areas for Laulilii: Luke Laulilii’s performance against South Sydney was so bad it will long be remembered in the same lofty heights of Paul Carige, Steve Mavin, Greg Smith and Manu Vatuvei.
He single-handedly cost the Tigers a win with his abhorrent second half, spilling two balls that led directly to tries, was abhorrent defensively and made one other critical error with the Tigers on the attack.
He will do well to overcome the mental scars that will come from that performance.
Oh Ricky, You’re So Great, You Blow Mind, Oh Ricky: Never change Ricky Stuart, never change.
Stuart went on a post-game rant where he both tried to send a message to some unnamed players who were not performing at an acceptable level and make himself look caring by telling how he apologised to Danny Levi for not playing him because underperforming players ruined his rotations.
What Stuart did not say was that he used only six changes and could have played Levi at any time, something that would have been wise given how many costly mistakes and poor tackles we saw from starting hooker Tom Starling.
Vale, David Morrow: Rugby League lost a giant of the broadcasting game when David Morrow sadly passed away last week.
Morrow was one of the game’s great commentators on both television and radio, something that is extraordinarily difficult to do.
Morrow will most be remembered for his broadcasts on the ABC and his work calling the 1990 Kangaroo Tour, where he was absolutely remarkable.
2024 Field Goal Update – 22: Nathan Cleary is back!
After an extended layoff, the star Panthers No.7 marked his return with a two-point golden point field goal from 43 metres out at a wide angle to gift his side the two points, a truly remarkable return.
Fun Fact #1: Canterbury are 5-16 under Gerard Sutton over the last decade.
Fun Fact #2: Damien Cook had kicked 7/8 over his career from 2013 to Round 19, 2024. On Saturday he kicked 7/8 against the Wests Tigers.
Fun Fact #3: Former Eels halfback Chris Thorman has gone 2-27, 6-22-1 and 0-18 in seasons with Workington Town, Newcastle and Newcastle.
Willie M Team of the Week: This week’s team of fumblers, stumblers and bumblers:
1.Jahream Bula (Tig) 2.Luke Laulilili (Tig) 3.Dane Gagai (New) 4.Solomona Faataape (Tig) 5.Krystian Mapapalangi (New) 6.Chanel Harris-Tavita (Wa) 7.Jackson Hastings (New)
8.Jesse Bromwich (Dol) 9.Reed Mahoney (Bul) 10.David Klemmer (Tig) 11.Tyson Frizell (New) 12.Viliame Kikau (Bul) 13.Connor Watson (Roo)
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14.Latu Fainu (Tig) 15.Keenan Palasia (GC) 16.Josiah Pahulu (GC) 17.Bailey Hayward (Bul)
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Coach: Adam O’Brien (New)
Betting Market of the Week: The chances that the best referee is named to officiate this year’s NRL Grand Final:
- $501: Yes
- $1.00: No
Rumour Mill: Nelson Asofa-Solomona looks almost certain to depart the Storm at the end of the season with the Tigers and Bulldogs the two clubs favoured to win his services.
In terribly sad news, Jason Ryles will not add Trent Barrett to his coaching staff in 2025, ending Barrett’s inglorious tenure at the Eels.
Clint Gutherson is expected to play in the centres in 2025 with Blaize Talagi to play fullback.
The Coaching Crosshairs: Adam O’Brien is doing more harm to whatever slim finals hopes the Knights have than good.
After finally giving Will Pryce a crack at five-eighth, he dropped him after three weeks, for the extremely limited Tyson Gamble.
More egregious though was his persistence with these uber-conservative tactics that just don’t work.
Silly no-height bombs go to corners and remain uncontested, offloads are frowned upon and every attacking set is just Jackson Hastings hitting front man after front man.
Kalyn Ponga may as well not exist in the redzone.
The Knights should not be nearly as bad as they are with the cattle they have – they are just given no chance through very poor coaching.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Kevin Walters leaving on Patrick Carrigan and Payne Haas at the back end of the Broncos-Knights games when the game was well in hand was utter lunacy.
The Broncos cannot make the finals without those two, they are warhorses but they need to be protected when they can be.
Watch It: It has remarkably been 24 years since we lost the greatest club boss the game has known in Peter ‘Bullfrog’ Moore.
Old school with a streak of scoundrel and the political nous of an old school NSW Labor Right powerbroker, Moore built Canterbury from a club that was a perennial laughing stock into a club that won four titles in the 1980s and became one of the most powerful in Sydney.
He knew how to fight and knew how to hate – two essential ingredients to running a premiership club – but built a team that was the envy of most for the best part of 20 years. Watch his funeral from 2000 here.