Five quick hits — Sua’ali’i cops month-long ban as Hunt stands tall for Maroons in Origin I

The Maroons claimed bragging rights after defeating the Blues 38-10 in the State of Origin opener, however their win did not come with no spot of controversy.

Here are 5 quick hits from State of Origin I in Sydney.

• Look again on how all of the motion unfolded in our match report

1. Sua’ali’i send-off cruels Blues’ hopes

The Blues have been already trailing on the scoreboard when their activity grew to become even more durable after Joseph Sua’ali’i was despatched off in the eighth minute.

Making his State of Origin debut, Sua’ali’i was given his marching orders when his proper shoulder made contact with Reece Walsh’s head when trying a sort out on the Maroons’ star fullback.

Walsh performed no additional half in the match regardless of passing his HIA after initially displaying category-one concussion signs.

Sua’ali’i will spend a minimal of 4 weeks on the sidelines after being charged with a reckless excessive sort out, 5 if he fights the cost and the judiciary and loses.

It was argued in the course of the TV broadcast that such an incident would warrant a send-off in an NRL match however not a State of Origin encounter, the place some count on gamers to be granted leeway.

Referee Ashley Klein, nevertheless, didn’t hesitate together with his resolution, explaining to Sua’ali’i and a shocked Blues skipper Jake Trbojevic he had no different possibility.

“I don’t want you to say a word,” Klein stated.

“Very dangerous action, direct contact to the head with the shoulder. You’re [Sua’ali’i] off.”

2. Maroons capitalise on numerical benefit

With the Blues decreased to 12 gamers, it did not take lengthy for the Maroons to benefit from Sua’ali’i’s absence.

They attacked the Blues’ right-edge defence and it paid dividends, with three-try hero Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow crossing for his first two after the Maroons took benefit of the overlap.

The Blues discovered an answer once they shifted Sua’ali’i’s centre associate Stephen Crichton to the appropriate in defence, however the injury was carried out with the Maroons having already establishing a 20-6 lead after 24 minutes.

The residence facet was additionally compelled to make use of three interchanges in the primary half as it regarded to plug the outlet created by Sua’ali’i’s indiscretion, whereas the Maroons solely employed one.

The Blues threw all the things on the Maroons in the second half and stayed in the competition after Zac Lomax’s Forty third-minute attempt, however the stress of taking part in a person down instructed they usually fall away late in the match. 

3. Hunt supreme on either side of the ball

Ben Hunt produced two performs in assault and defence in the second half that extinguished any hope the Blues had of snatching victory.

Having simply returned to the sphere for his second stint, Hunt made a dummy-half run from simply inside Maroons territory in the 67th minute, earlier than weaving his method by a drained Blues defence to run away and rating his second attempt of the match.

Only minutes later, Hunt pulled off a try-saving sort out on Crichton, forward of the Blues turning over possession when Daly Cherry-Evans intercepted an Isaah Yeo move and headed down subject.

Cherry-Evans then kicked in direction of the in-goal space, with Xavier Coates following by to the touch down for the Maroons’ fifth attempt of the match.

Billy Slater’s use of Hunt and Harry Grant in the hooker function has been a masterstroke since he took cost of the Maroons.

4. No Munster? No worries, says Dearden

The Maroons are at all times going to be a stronger facet with Cameron Munster on the sphere, however Tom Dearden did not let his state down with a stable efficiency in the quantity six jersey.

Dearden has been right here earlier than, having changed Munster for Game III in 2022 when the Storm playmaker was a late withdrawal due to COVID.

Just as he did in the Maroons’ series-clinching 22-12 win over the Blues two years in the past, Dearden refused to be overcome by the event on Wednesday night time.

He labored beautifully together with his skipper Cherry-Evans in the halves to orchestrate their facet’s assault, proving he belongs on the Origin stage.

He additionally obtained the seal of approval from the person he changed, with Munster declaring after the match “Queensland is in safe hands” with Dearden at five-eighth.

5. Teddy does not waste his alternative

Incumbent Kangaroos skipper James Tedesco got here into this match with some extent to show.

And, regardless of being a part of a shedding effort, it is laborious to argue that he did not make that time.