Maguire getting under Maroons’ skin with Blues bruisers exploiting Origin’s lenient judiciary threshold

Michael Maguire is a smart coach and even Blind Freddie could see the only way to stand up to the Maroons is to stand up to the Maroons. 

Blind Freddie could, Freddie Fittler couldn’t and that’s why the NSWRL brought in an experienced coach to replace him.

There was plenty of debate after Joseph Suaalii got sent off in the series opener that there should be one rule for regular NRL matches and another for State of Origin. 

Well, that is actually the case. 

When it comes to judiciary charges, players have much more scope to avoid suspension for foul play unless they produce a blatant transgression like Suaalii’s high shot on Reece Walsh which not only meant he got sent off but copped a four-match ban.

Under the rules brought in two years ago, players in Origin will only cop a fine, a percentage of their match fee, for all grade one and two offences apart from reckless high tackles, which Suaalii’s one fell under. 

NRL and judiciary records have been separated so that even if a player with multiple offences in club footy cops a charge in the Origin arena, there will be no added consequences. 

Three players were fined a measly 7% of their match feed for grade-one offences in Origin II, which equated to a fine of a few thousand bucks for players whose weekly salary is more than $10,000. 

So in short, get out there fellas, rip in and as long as you don’t take someone’s head off, you are encouraged to bring as much mongrel as you can to the contest. 

Now of course it is still a fine balance in that penalties and sin bins remain an option and in Origin, they can be disastrous. 

The Maroons paid the price for an early penalty conceded by Lindsay Collins in game two at the MCG when the Blues maintained possession with a couple of six-agains and a line drop-out in the lead-up to their first try.

From there, they got a roll which turned into a blitz and before the Maroons knew it they were trudging off at half-time facing an unprecedented 34-point deficit.

Liam Martin is not the biggest Blues forward but he has been easily their best in both games because he has stood up to and over his Maroons counterparts. 

By rushing out of the line to put up a big hit on or niggling away after a tackle has been completed, he has been getting under their skin and leaving bruises as a reminder that physicality is the name of this game. 

Queensland are sorely missing injured Titans behemoth Tino Fa’asuamaleaui – he played this role to perfection last year. 

The Maroons have a track record of an alpha male unsettling the Blues with “controlled aggression”. 

Nate Myles is known as the Queensland assistant coach mouthing off from his glass house on the sidelines in NSW but he is revered by the Maroons for his efforts as a player when he rattled the Blues with every trick, dirty or otherwise, that he could use without getting in strife with the ref. 

Josh McGuire is another Maroon who was not picked for his looks but for bringing the nasty that is needed at this level.

Canberra prop Josh Papali’i is well past his prime and looked off the pace when he was last involved in Origin a couple of years ago but the fact that the Maroons even considered bringing him back shows that they know they need aggression to make an impression in the series decider next Wednesday at Suncorp Stadium. 

Maguire looked happier on Monday at his opening Origin III media conference than after the 38-18 game-two triumph in Melbourne because for once, all the talk leading up to the match has been about the Maroons being in disarray. 

Billy Slater was forced to deny that he was personally rattled or that his decision to scale back his team’s media commitments was a case of panic stations in the Sunshine State. 

All Maguire was denying was that his team had bullied the Maroons in Origin II but you could tell that while he was saying the words, he was secretly thinking “of course we did and we’re planning on doing the same thing next week”.

“I don’t know if you would call it bullying,” Maguire said.

“We just played the style rugby league needs to be played. The first half we were very thorough, the second half we need to improve.”

And if there was any semblance of doubt that the Blues’ plan is about force rather than finesse, Maguire showed his hand with his selections – Newcastle powerhouse Bradman Best to replace the injured Latrell Mitchell at left centre and Warriors veteran Mitch Barnett in for Haumole Olakau’atu on the bench. 

Each player is known for running straight and hard, there is nothing subtle about anything they do on a rugby league field. 

Slater had the option to take a similar tack at the selection table but has again overlooked Titans star David Fifita. 

He’s gone for the workrate of another Warriors veteran in Kurt Capewell ahead of Fifita or Jaydn Su’A as a big hitter in defence. 

Bringing back Kalyn Ponga as a bench utility means the Maroons are even smaller than the first couple of matches with only Moeaki Fotuaika and Felise Kaufusi to provide punch from the interchange. 

Compare that with the impact that Spencer Leniu has been making in his mid-game stints and the Blues have a decided advantage when it comes to those crucial periods just before and after the half-time break when defensive lines can be at their most fragile.

Momentum is with the Blues, history is with Queensland given they won the first match and are at home for the decider. 

All the talk that NSW have got their number and will outmuscle them will only intensify the siege mentality that the Maroons thrive on. 

Slater’s role now is to harness that underdog spirit even though Queensland are slight favourites with the bookmakers and show that it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight …