The last Origin decider in Brisbane featured a brawl. It’s why the Blues won’t back down again
In the pantheon of State of Origin quotes comes this from Dane Gagai, who tried to punch Matt Burton all the way from the Suncorp Stadium playing surface back to Caxton Street two years ago: “I kind of just thought, ‘F--- it, it’s Origin’.”
Gagai and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui had been in a two-on-one scrap with the NSW star. It was never going to be a fair fight, Fa’asuamaleaui headlocking Burton and Gagai unloading a combination Mike Tyson might have been proud of.
The rest of Burton’s teammates were preoccupied with the actual play. Burton and Gagai went to the sin bin. Queensland ended up winning the battle, and the war. The NRL shuddered at the sight of it and there’s barely been a punch thrown since.
That was the last time a series decider was played at Suncorp Stadium, and before this one all the rhetoric has been about how the reborn Blues bullied the Maroons in game two last month, which is akin to waving a maroon rag in front of a raging bull.
So, if it happens again?
“This team … we’ve all got one another’s back, and we don’t take a backward step,” NSW’s Liam Martin said. “We won’t be pushed around; we’ll be chasing the physicality and just doing whatever it takes as a team.
A brawl erupts after Matt Burton and Dane Gagai exchanged punches in the series decider in 2022.Credit: Getty
“I probably can’t remember the last time there was [a brawl] – and I’m not one to scrap. Normally, there’s a bit of push and shove, and I’m at the back. I didn’t even realise it had gone down; I was chasing back for [Daly] Cherry-Evans.
“When I realised, it was too late.”
But you can sense Martin won’t be too late next time, even if he did get sin binned in Melbourne for a head pat.
From the opening minutes of this series, new Blues coach Michael Maguire has preached the importance of physicality to his team. It cost them game one after Joseph Suaalii’s send-off, but they got their own back in a bruising first half at the MCG, one of the best in NSW history.
Bradman Best trains away from the main group on Wednesday.Credit: NRL Photos
The 2022 manhandling of Burton – back in the Blues squad on standby for Bradman Best – won’t soon be forgotten by those players still in sky blue.
In a twist of fate, if Best can’t overcome his hamstring issue, Burton will line up directly opposite Gagai, playing his first Origin game since that fight.
But as they stepped up their preparations in the Blue Mountains on Wednesday, Martin spoke about why the threat of tension spilling over will always be there.
“We just went after it physically [in Melbourne], that’s just what we wanted to do,” Martin said. “I think we’re happy with that, but we’ve got to go to another level now.”
Said NSW vice-captain Isaah Yeo: “We’re just focused on competing, trying to do your job and not taking a backwards step. It’s something we’ve been really trying to drive in the group.
“There were [physical] moments in the game, there were moments in game one too where both teams were doing it. It gets spoken about a lot in the media – it’s a wonderful opportunity for you guys to build it up – but I think it’s just the culture.
“We just don’t want to take a backwards step and Madge [Maguire] has done a really good job driving that, and the players are buying in, which is good.”
Best trained away from the main squad for the majority of Wednesday’s session, running through some light drills as NSW players warmed up.
He put his hoodie back on once the main session began and was seen deep in conversation with Maguire as about 1000 fans watched on at Blue Mountains Grammar School.
“It wasn’t a huge day today, a bit of awareness there,” Yeo said of Best. “He had a scan and he’s come through that, so I’m super excited for him. He’s been in this arena before; his debut was wonderful last year in game three. He’s looking to build off the back of that and his form at club level has been great.
“We’ve been lucky there’s so many centres in good form at the moment. It’s disappointing for Latrell, but it’s a wonderful opportunity for Bradman, so I’m excited for him.”
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