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cover of episode 'Awful': Big Marn doesn't hold back as Maroons implode in Game II

'Awful': Big Marn doesn't hold back as Maroons implode in Game II

2024/6/26
logo of podcast The Continuous Call Team

The Continuous Call Team

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34-0. New South Wales leading Queensland six tries to nil. Darrell Bryman, it is a dead set carver. Well it is and it's probably going to continue Mark, to be really honest with you. The Blues have just been superb. As good as Queensland were in game one, they've been better the Blues. They've scored, as you said, six tries. Queensland have got nothing. They've completed...

21 of 22 in this standard of football is going to make it awfully difficult for the opposition. Queensland, on the other hand, have only had it 12 times. So they've had... New South Wales have had double the amount of possession Queensland have and they've completed 10 of 12.

They've made 1,041 metres, New South Wales. Queensland, 419. At the end of the day, New South Wales are just running on fresh legs because they've had all the ball and all the attack. And Queensland have had to tackle, and they haven't done a very good job of it. They've allowed six tries.

I mean, there's players all over the field for New South Wales that I want to wrap. Dylan Edwards, what a debut he's having. And there's other players as well. But Stephen Crichton in the centres is just creating havoc. I think Jerome Luai is having the best game I've seen him play at rep level. Mitch Moses has just come in seamlessly. And Angus Crichton on the fringes is just creating nightmare for the Queenslanders.

They don't know what to do, the Queenslanders. There's no way they can get back into this game. 34 points to nil. There's just some news coming out of the eighth. The mortal Andrew John's on the telly, Darrell. And you wouldn't have thought this was the case given the way he kicked the goals in the first half. Zach Lomax spent the entire preparation into the match with a leg issue that required his knee to be drained of fluid due to a bursa on his right leg. He's only missed one of the goals. Mate, I want to wrap this kid like...

He's had a great year, like great year for the Dragons, but he got put from centre to wing. Now, whether he liked it or not, that was a decision that Shane Flanagan had, well, he did make. But you know what? I think it's the decision that has just ignited his career. I don't think he plays for New South Wales if he's playing in the centres. He's gone to the wing. He's kept all goals bar one. He's scored, what, two tries in this game. He's now pretty close to one of the best wingers in the game, if he's not the best.

and his career is now exploding. Unfortunately for the Dragons fans, he's going to the Parramatta side next year to play in the centres. I don't know if that's a wise decision for him to play in the centres. At what point does he think to himself, geez, I think I've done the wrong thing here. I probably should stay at the Dragons, but that's probably a discussion for the weekend, Darrell. Let's go downstairs. 34-0, New South Wales leading Queensland. Piggy, the Maroons are shell-shocked, and

That's probably the best first half of footy we've seen from the Blues in a long, long time. Yeah, well, the big man mentioned those stats there in 21 of 22. They've completed their sets. No one looks flustered or like they're going to throw it out the back. They all know their role. They're just all doing their job. I think the leg speed through the middle for New South Wales has really troubled Queensland and rolled New South Wales down the field nicely. Big man mentioned all those players have been playing great. Like Mitchell Moses, I think he's had three try assists.

The kicking game of Moses and Luai has been absolutely phenomenal. Whether it's Moses' long kicks, Moses and Luai's short kicks, their ability just to get repeat sets, build the pressure.

It's almost been the perfect half of football. I think, you know, there's been a couple of piggyback penalties out of their own half, and early on a Stephen Crichton offload, but they were down the other end of the field. They weren't up here in that good ball zone. So they've made Queensland come off their goal line all night.

And they're just... They know their roles. They do their job. They're not trying to make it up. And they've had a really good first half. Well, you're sitting right next to the Queensland bench, Piggy. What was the sort of reaction watching New South Wales score try after try? I think they're as shell-shocked as everyone is at the ground. We all came here tonight expecting an unbelievable contest between two great sides. They're two great football teams. We know how good Queensland is, but...

New South Wales have just done their job. They've kicked long. They've chased hard. They've worked hard in defence. And, you know, they've just stuck to the plan. You can just see everyone looks really comfortable and in control of what their role is in the team, what their job is, where they have to be on certain plays.

and they've put them on really nicely. They've all run hard, and they've been able to get some joy. All right, thank you, Piggy. 34-0 New South Wales leading Queensland. Darrell, I'll ask you as a Maroon, Billy Slater, is he just saying, right, let's forget the first half, let's go out there, put on some points in the second half and just...

just get back to competing with this New South Wales side? I think he'd be angry with them. I don't think he'd want them to forget the first half. I think he'd want the players to be angry with what they've dished up. I mean, when they've had the ball, they've been okay when they've had it, but they haven't been great. I mean, they started okay, but then defensively, they've been awful. Out wide on both sides, they've had trouble. Val Holmes has had trouble. Unfortunately, Tabui Fadeau got hurt pretty early in the game. Talangi's had trouble. Coates...

has had trouble reading it because he's had to follow Val Holmes around. Val Holmes has had real trouble in the centres. Reece Walsh we haven't seen because of the fact they've had no ball. They've got a lot of problems. Tom Dearden's had troubles as well.

Mate, it's been really difficult to be a back for the Queenslanders. And then as the half moved on, we started seeing some of the Blues forwards just go straight through the middle, like Spencer Lenu on two or three occasions just powered over the top of them. They're tired. They're really tired. And at this level...

At the speed of the game, if you get tired, it is awfully difficult. You just can't catch your breath. It's going to be, well, mate, it's going to be a really difficult second half for the Queenslanders. I would imagine he's just telling them, go out and hopefully win the second half. He wouldn't say hopefully, but he'd be saying, let's go out and win the second half and get a little bit of dignity back. All right, gentlemen, 34 points to nil. New South Wales leading Queensland.