State of Origin rose up afresh on Wednesday night and a crowd of 80,512 fans rose up with it. They came from cities and suburbs, country towns and specks on the map, up and down the east coast of Australia. On planes, trains and buses, in cars and cabs, on foot and phone, they argued allegiances all the way to the stadium. At the kick-off, they made a sound to behold: exorcised frustration from pandemic days and deep passion for “the fiercest rivalry in sport”.
Queensland defied injury and underdog status to defeat New South Wales 16-10. Of course to give the men in Maroon longer odds and fewer players is a leg-up. North of the border they thrive on adversity so when Xavier Coates hobbled off, followed by Jeremiah Nanai, Billy Slater’s team lifted. They needed to. Brad Fittler’s team had the edge but still went to half-time 4-6 behind. That’s Origin: not necessarily fair but everything happens for a reason.
