Slater masterstrokes that decided Origin; Blues blow it with no plan B: Talking Points

Billy Slater beat Laurie Daley at the selection game as the Maroons stormed back to win the series, while the Blues were accused of not having a plan B.

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Read on for all the key Origin Talking Points.

DEARDEN STUNS IN CLINIC TO WIN WALLY LEWIS MEDAL

It was the biggest selection call of the series, but Billy Slater’s call to drop captain Daly Cherry-Evans ended up unearthing the player of the series in Tom Dearden.

Dearden produced 95 run metres, two tackle busts, a linebreak, a linebreak assist and two tries to go with 24 tackles in a man of the match display in the 24-12 victory.

Phil Gould was against dropping Cherry-Evans, but backed Billy Slater’s right to make the call.

“I didn’t agree with it, but I applauded Billy Slater for the courage to do it and defended his right to do it,” Gould said on Channel 9.

“And it’s turned out to be a winning move for them. Not saying they couldn’t have won the series with Daly Cherry-Evans either, but this young fella took on the challenge.

“He was aided by 16 great teammates in both games. He did a wonderful job and you know, he was absolutely superb tonight.

'That's one proud dad, sitting up there' | 02:42

“His energy, the whole energy of the Queensland team was just too much for NSW. It really overwhelmed them.”

Andrew Johns believes Dearden joined some of Queensland’s great halfback’s with his performance in the decider.

“He’s played five games at halfback in the last four years,” Johns said.

“Well I watched him closely coming through at Brisbane and he showed a lot of promise to start with. Then he just lost all confidence.

Tom Dearden was player of the series. Source: Getty Images

“Then he has gone there for the Cowboys and out here tonight he has been incredible, so tough. We know he’s tough, he competes but his kicking, his ball playing tonight was first class.

Johns also paid tribute to Dearden’s defence after a try-saving tackle on Brian To’o.

“Tommy Dearden what a play!” Johns said.

“Reuben Cotter his Cowboys teammate he’s there to help out as well. Diving on the loose ball. Lovely play.

“Second third base play by the Blues with a flick pass there. But look at this from Tom Dearden on Brian To’o.

“He is so hard to stop. How many how many times have you seen him in that position? That is something. I’ve never seen him do it.

“Tom Dearden made that tackle on Selwyn Cobbo. That was one of the great chases.

“Well, he just he sees the threat and sprints to himself. He doesn’t get there late. He gets there early.”

Laurie confident he should coach '26 NSW | 10:04

Cameron Smith was in awe of Dearden’s effort.

“Tommy Dearden has been in everything,” Smith said.

“Every play for the Queenslanders tonight two tries. He got one in the first half backing up the Hammer. That time there it was just a matter of time before he got over.”

Johns labelled it one of the great performances by a Maroons half.

“He’s built a career on saving tries, but Tom Dearden has bludgeoned a blow on top of the Blues,” Johns said.

“One of the great Origin performances in the No.7 jersey for Queensland. Pretty famous jersey.

“Running the water down there. Allan Langer I know he’d be very proud of it. Extraordinary.”

Munster & Slater share powerful moment | 17:51

BLUES DIDN’T HANDLE FAVOURITISM AMID NO PLAN B

The Blues have been accused of not handling favouritism and having no plan B as they lost the unlosable series from 1-0 up.

Darren Lockyer believes the Blues struggled when no one gave the Maroons a chance after their game one loss.

“I don’t think they handled favouritism too well down there,” Lockyer said on Channel 9.

“You know they went to Suncorp where everyone probably thought they could win that game, but they won convincingly and then they go to Perth.

“Everyone just assumed that that was going to be a Blues win. We come out and blitzed them in the first half and then tonight when they’re playing at home and they’ve got the personnel to win, but the attitude just wasn’t there tonight.”

The Blues and Nathan Cleary didn’t have a plan B. Source: Getty Images

Andrew Johns believes the Maroons once again proved they are the best underdogs in sport

“Huge outsiders after game one, I don’t think anyone goes in thinking they were any hope of winning the series,” Johns said.

However, Johns took aim at the Blues for a lack of a plan when momentum was going against them.

“But getting back to NSW there was no plan B,” Johns said.

“Yeah and when you’re out on the field at this level there has to be a plan B, a plan C if the game plan isn’t coming off you need to change on the run.

“I just thought, well too structured in stages, especially when we’re going to our left the right side defence just rushed and we just had no plan B, but it’d be heartbreaking for Laurie Daley and but Queensland way too good, way too good.”

Dearden's incredible try-saving tackle | 00:41

BILLY PROVEN RIGHT AMID BRILLIANT SELECTION CALLS

As the great Jack Gibson once said when asked what makes good coaches, “Good players” was his reply and Queensland’s players played better than the Blues this series.

But it was Slater’s bold selection calls that turned the series around from 1-0 down to win the series and the coach deserves plenty of credit for backing himself at the selection table.

On the other hand Laurie Daley and the Blues will rue the missed opportunities they had to make changes to their side after they were blown away in game two and ultimately the 17 players picked were not good enough to get the job done.

The decision to drop Daly Cherry-Evans was not only the biggest selection call of the series, but also one of the biggest in origin history.

Cameron Smith paid tribute to Cherry-Evans who would have been proud of his teammates from the coach.

“As Queensland celebrates tonight I can’t help but think about Daly Cherry-Evans and the service he and success he’s had with this Queensland team to be dropped after game one and have to watch the rest of the series unfold,” Smith said.

Billy Slater pulled all the right reins again. Source: Getty Images

“It’d be difficult sitting in his loungeroom watching this Queensland team, pick up the trophy.

“But at the same time he’s a proud Queenslander, so he would have been extremely happy with the result of the Origin series. He’d love to be out there as the winning series captain, but he would be happy for the team.”

However, the fact Tom Dearden won the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series proved the decision correct.

“I think the decision to leave Daly Cherry-Evans out of the last two matches, I think that’s been proven to be the right call,” Smith said.

“Billy Slater was criticised heavily for making that decision. That’s one of the biggest decisions made in Origin in a long, long time to leave out a captain like Daly, 26 Origins I think he played, three of those series as a winning captain.

“So it was a big call. And then to put Tommy Dearden in who plays majority of his football with the No.6 on his back to come out and then finish as the Wally Lewis Medallist as the best player of the series is just incredible.”

POTM Dearden praises Munster, QLD spirit | 00:47

MUNSTER HEROICS AFTER EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER AMID DAD’S PASSING

Cameron Munster showed immense bravery to lead Queensland to victory just days after the shock passing of his father Steven at the age of 58.

Munster had 39 run metres from eight runs and 18 tackles in a performance that didn’t rate with his best in the Origin arena, but it was unquestionably his most heroic.

Munster’s kicking game played an important role, but it was his mere presence that gave all of his teammates the strength and commitment to compete on every play for 80 minutes ina near perfect Origin performance.

The win saw Munster join an elite list of four Queensland skippers to win their first series as captain of the Maroons, joining Darren Lockyer, Trevor Gillmeister and Cameron Smith.

Andrew Johns was in awe of Munster’s performance.

Cameron Munster enters Origin folklore again. Source: Getty Images

“Congratulating Cameron Munster, for him to play tonight will go down in Origin folklore,” Johns said.

“Queensland supporters your skipper, he’s played one for the ages. After the passing of his father on Sunday, Steven, the courage to play but also wanting to play.

“He’s inspired his teammates and they lifted. They’ve no doubt they’ve lifted for the for the Munster family.

“Cameron Munster knew the importance of captaining Queensland. It’s been some performance.”

Robson's double penalty dooms Blues! | 01:09

HAMMER SHINES TO PROVE TOUGH WALSH CALL RIGHT

It was a gusty call to snub the obvious fullback replacement in Reece Walsh and instead shift Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow into the No.1 jersey to replace the injured Kalyn Ponga.

But it paid off in a big way, with the Dolphins gun proving why he was “the man for the job” in a crucial performance in the series decider.

Tabuai-Fidow ran for 78 metres, broke four tackles and assisted Tom Dearden’s first try with a dangerous run down the right touch line.

For rugby league legend Cameron Smith, the “speculation” surrounding the speedster’s selection at the back has been well and truly put to bed.

“Well there’s a lot of speculation and a lot of talk around that selection… a lot of talk around Billy and why he didn’t select Reece (Walsh),” Smith said.

“I think ‘Hammer’ showed why he was the man for the job tonight. I just thought he was really busy around the play the ball.

“He gave Harry Grant some options, running out of dummy half and just anywhere where the ball was and if there was any half chance of offloading or any sort of option to score tries, he was there.”

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was a revelation at fullback. Source: Getty Images

Smith also highlighted a moment late in the clash, with Tabuai-Fidow fielding a high ball before streaking away, a play that only someone who possesses his speed could deliver.

“He was just so safe under the high ball. Looked likely to go the length of the field. It took a desperate tackle by one of the NSW players to pull him down,” he said.

“But you know that gamble, or it’s not so much of a gamble… he’s been probably the form fullback of the competition.

“He’s coming off four tries for the Dolphins in his last club game. So he was outstanding. Tonight he was one of the really strong performers for the Maroons.”

Tabuai-Fidow also fulfilled an ugly prophecy for the Blues, with former Knights back rower Alex McKinnon urging NSW to cut down the gun fullback’s space – or expect to concede points.

“The reality is, the more ball the 23-year-old dynamo gets, the more chance he has of making a difference,” McKinnon wrote in his column for Fox Sports.

“His support play is second to none, he can breeze past defenders and he’s a dangerous threat in the air. It was an easy choice for Billy Slater.”

CARRIGAN MASTERCLASS EXPOSES ONE CHANGE BLUES SHOULD’VE MADE

After any Origin series loss, attention immediately turns to what team changes could have led to a different result.

Although in the case of Laurie Daley and the Blues, outside of the injured Mitchell Moses coming in for Jarome Luai, it is fair to say there was maybe only one change that could have been made.

While it is hard to say that it alone would have turned the tide for NSW on Wednesday night, the Blues were crying out for a genuine difference-maker to challenge Queensland’s forward pack.

Could Keaon Koloamatangi or Terrell May have been that player?

There were calls for Daley to omit Stefano Utoikamanu after an underwhelming Game 2 performance from the Storm forward, who had been in impressive form at club land but appeared to tire out quite quickly in Perth.

'Family is more important than anything' | 00:38

It was the case again in Sydney in the decider as Utoikamanu appeared to struggle with the frantic pace of Wednesday’s game, finishing with a solid but unspectacular 50 metres from six carries to go with 27 tackles.

Max King, meanwhile, managed just 40 metres from six carries with Payne Haas (113 metres) and Isaah Yeo (93 metres) the only two Blues forwards that were really challenging the defensive line and picking up the kind of post-contact metres that helped NSW regain momentum.

Queensland, on the other hand, were well-served with Patrick Carrigan leading the way as the Broncos lock forward pumped out over 100 run metres in the first half alone off the bench.

All up, the Maroons got 271 metres from their front row rotation in the first 40 minutes compared to 120 from the Blues and the result was a 20-0 deficit for the hosts.

While Queensland’s pressing defence obviously played a pivotal role in its dominance early, the points were also a product of the platform the Maroons’ big men laid up front.

Like King, Josh Papalii only played a limited role for the Maroons but Billy Slater got the most out of Carrigan to quickly turn the game in favour of Queensland.

It was what the Blues desperately needed to avoid a repeat of Game 2, where they quickly fell behind and couldn’t dig themselves out of a hole, but instead history repeated and left them wondering what could have been if Koloamatangi or May had been given a shot.

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