The Decider

By Stephen Gallagher

The chance to win the series on home turf for New South Wales.

Or Queensland decides the series with a huge emotional win away from home.

Only 80 minutes of rugby league stands in the way of the result.

It was ill-discipline and simple errors that truly cost the Blues their shot at wrapping up the series in Perth.

Their first half was a disaster in the rain. They didn’t play the way they should have at all, which is why Queensland shot out to a 26-6 half-time lead.

And if that game had gone for another ten minutes, New South Wales would have clinched it, but the desperation of Queensland mattered, and they deserved their win on neutral soil.

So what are our narratives for Game 3?

Queensland – the tragic passing of Cameron Munster’s father Steven, will well and truly rally around their captain and deliver a performance that will bring some sort of peace and closure to what has been a traumatic week for the family.

The expectation is that they will do everything they can to win. They will grow another arm and grow another leg. They will fight for every crumb. A performance that will be remembered for the ages. You can expect that this is something Queensland and priming themselves for.

Or is it the inclusion of Josh Papali’i, in an Alfie Langer like moment, coming back to haunt New South Wales one last time before he rides off into the sunset?

Or how about the rise of Gehamat Shibasaki? From Train-And-Trial at the beginning of the season to Queensland representative in a career that has included Japanese Rugby and four different NRL clubs since 2018. He could cement himself in Origin folklore and a goatee that will be immortalised.

And flipping it to the Blues – what’s fueling them?

Could a winger win the Wally Lewis medal for the first time? Brian To’o, even not at 100% health, has been an incredibly reliable player in this side. He’s only 8 tries away from scoring the most in Origin history – which he could do by the end of the 2027 series the way he’s performed this year. There’s no one quite like To’o – and he could be the saviour.

Nathan Cleary – is this the performance that will cement him as an Origin great? Lining up in his 17th Origin match, he now becomes the most capped halfback for the Blues. He’s also never won a decider.

This can be his moment. Where he stands up, takes the state on his shoulders, and has his own Joey or Freddy moment.

The lure of winning two series in a row, something that New South Wales would have sold their souls for ten years ago. They have the talent. They have the ability. They just need to perform on the stage. Laurie Daley was there in 2014 at the helm when the Cockroaches finally broke the spell the Canetoads had on them. His loyalty has shown through this series, with only injuries forcing his hand.

Can he help the Blues sew up the series?

We all know that this will be the most free-flowing officiated game of the series. The classic game two square up happened like it did the year before. It’s now time to put the whistle away and let the players decide the result.

New South Wales has been the better side all series, but I have no doubt what’s happened in the Queensland camp will inspire and galvanise their performance. There will be so much emotion in their performance.

I am picking the Blues to win it. 22-12. Brian To’o will win the Wally Lewis Medal. Latrell Mitchell first try scorer.

Bring it on.

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