Joel Spreadborough10 Minute Read
“Those Blues just don’t understand the magic of the Cauldron!”
Tony is in a group of 10 Maroons fans who have travelled from Kingaroy, celebrating his 51st birthday with a night at the footy. They’ve enjoyed a few gentle libations on Caxton Street, and are now gathered outside Gate D (the one behind the Wally Lewis statue). Cries of “Queenslander” pour forth, and a throng of passing Maroons fans take up the chorus.
Origin at the cauldron, game two at Lang Park, another Suncorp classic — call it what you want, there’s something about the great ground where it all began on the 8th of July, 1980. According to Queenslanders anyway.
NSW fans, players, coaches, administrators — basically the entire state — are sick of hearing about the aura of the home of Queensland rugby league. They’ve got no time for the shtick and rhetoric about the bubbling, simmering, adrenaline-charged atmosphere. Zero interest in putting up with the claims relentlessly spruiked by those north of the Tweed border, those who continue to claim the ascendancy in belief and passion for the concept. Those still smarting from the 70-odd years of residency-based thrashings endured by Queensland before that night in 1980.
Tonight, it’s up to the 17 players representing the state of NSW, to prove those calls moot.
Fireworks erupt around a dark Suncorp as the late changes filter through to the media area in the Western stand (Cotter, Flegler, Robson starting- no great shocks). It’s 7.30pm, and the enormity of the Blues task is underscored with every maroon-clad body that winds its way into the still vacant seats.
Former Origin Great turned media personality Ben Hannant claims the first genuine roar of the night when he ‘delivers’ the match ball on the back of a scooter, partaking in a food delivery themed advertising gimmick. The second roar goes the way of Shannon Noll, a late choice to provide some pre-game tunes, as he launches into a rendition of ‘What about me.’ The irony of these roars, and the accompanying phone lights in the grandstand, is that this song is far more befitting to the Blues in this particular Origin scenario.
The first dressing room images appear on the big screen, and it’s the typical picture of tension inside both sheds. Brad Fittler looks every bit the bloke gambling for his future, Billy Slater the one looking to rubber stamp his own. Chat abounds in the media area — the task before this Blues side is more than enormous — and this is coming from the southern scribes. “Why couldn’t this one be in Adelaide?”
The ground is nearly full by 7.48pm. More fireworks, and the Origin shield carried out to the middle by two guys who’ve held it aloft more than once. Wally Lewis and Darren Lockyer raise it once more, and the masses erupt accordingly. The teams come up on the big screen, alternating between NSW and QLD, and crowd responses flow seamlessly between adoration and contempt.
They’ve been writing about the awe-inspiring roar of the cauldron for 43 years, yet it never ceases to deliver. A now packed stadium launches into ear-splitting disapproval as James Tedesco leads the Blues out. They flip to approval and dial it up substantially as Daly Cherry-Evans’ Queenslanders charge out onto the ground.
They say Origin is all about moments, and the noise is sustained throughout a short series of them to get official proceedings underway. Reece Walsh kicks off, Tom Trbojevic gives away a penalty and goes down, Murray Taulagi guns for the corner. Tom Trbojevic leaves the ground clutching his pec. The ground announcer confirms the Blues are a man down inside three minutes. The assignment just got tougher, and the ground goes up an octave. Damien Cook inexplicably replaces him, despite the more suitable Cameron Murray sitting on the Blues bench.
The Maroons are making metres early; Xavier Coates is looking for work, DCE is taking on the line, Tom Flegler inflicts pain. It goes both ways; Brian To’o bursts through a tackle in the midfield and the collision is audible over the din. Payne Haas sees only the enemy as Pat Carrigan runs at him. Coates aerial prowess is showcased from 10 out, Val Holmes pounces on a loose ball in goal. The crowd quietens for the first time in the 9th minute, as replays indicate a Josh Addo-Carr knock-on in the build-up.
‘Valentine Holmes forces pressure on the ball,’ confirms the video referee, and the fever returns.
“Queenslander” chants erupt as DCE engages in a stern post-try oration on the halfway line. He finds the grass with a kick soon after, thumping his opposing skipper to the turf to emphasise his point. Tino and Tyson Frizell come together for another highly audible collision in the midfield. The games first melee ‘erupts’ just inside the 15 minute mark. Nothing to see here, unless you’re talking about the incredibly fired up Tom Flegler and Hudson Young.
Mitchell Moses is probing with his boot, and directing things as best he can with a ramshackle three-quarter line. The 28 year old persists, putting a hush on things with consecutive raids into the Queensland red zone. The Blues are probing without a great deal of rhythm. Despite this, the Maroons are on alert and in need of some field position. Harry Grant comes on, Jeremiah Nanai busts through the struggling Cook and throws a flick ball over the sideline. There’s barely time to digress the ominous nature of the moment before the Blues are attacking again. The thrown together left edge again lacks poise, yet Moses earns a repeat set. Addo-Carr overruns Cook and an overlap goes to waste. A moment lost in confusion, and missed.
“New South Wales, New South Wales, New South Wales!'” Turns out there’s a half decent contingent of Blues faithful in the house; they make themselves heard as the sustained period of relatively ineffective attack continues. Twelve minutes before the break, Tedesco throws one over the sideline, and the home crowd issues a collective roar. A failed one-on-one strip earns a repeat set, and Queensland are finally back at the other end. The second melee of the evening unfolds on the back of some Jarome Luai, DCE ruck niggle, and the old Super League anthem of ‘Two Tribes (go to war)’ cues up on the ground speakers.
By the time Midnight Oil’s ‘Power and the Passion’ enters the music rotation, a blistering series of events have unfolded. Stephen Crichton intercepts and runs 70 metres before being chopped down by, wait, is that DCE? The Blues shift it right, Cook drops it. Now Pat Carrigan has slipped a neat offload and the Maroons are bursting up the field with, wait, is that DCE again? Tedesco chases him down, they shift it left, Walsh finds David Fifita, Fifita throws a comprehensively forward ball to Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. The Dolphin finds his former team mate Murray Taulagi. Queensland are under the posts and it’s 10-nil. Contentious moment seized.
Lindsay Collins throws another one onto the highlight reel with a thunderous collection of Luai before Walsh and Luai collide. Signs of a grudge between the pair are beginning to take shape. Ashley Klein blows the Blues first penalty of the night with just over one minute remaining. It prompts NSW to hurl themselves at the line as though part of a 9th century Viking raid on a Mercian burh. It’s full of intent, but again disorganised. Queensland hold firm, the siren sounds. Raid repelled, moment missed. The Blues half features 54 tackles inside Queensland territory. They’ve made less errors, launched more attacking kicks, completed higher, and had considerably more ball (58%).
Metallica comes on as DCE leads the Queenslanders back out, after what felt like a 45 second interval. Situation critical for the Blues. They need to find a way through, or multiple careers will end.
Reece Walsh collects a high ball and is collected with another audible crunch. Blink, and he’s back on his feet, scything through the midfield. Forty metres downfield and one can’t help but wonder where the NSW defense is. Moments later he’s involved in a right side shift, ending in a ‘horizontal air Jordan’ put down for Holmes, who moves to third on the all time Maroons try scorers list. Conversion successful. 16-nil. Moment spectacularly seized.
The Blues employ some hot potato footy at the other end; it’s once more highlighted by a lack of direction. Taulagi denies Crichton within inches of the right side tryline. Moments later, the ball floats over the left touch line. Moment squandered, and missed. Queensland have it, Harry Grant unleashes a raid. Taulagi’s in there again, this time unleashing a banana kick infield. Tedesco is nowhere to be seen, with Payne Haas doing his best to grab it. He’s thwarted by a shocking bounce, Tabuai-Fidow pounces. Moment created, and seized. 20-nil. A double punch to start the second half.
A satisfied hum ruminates around the famous ground, and the increasing desperation of the Blues is reflected by increasingly desperate attack. Luai finds some space in broken play and Walsh brings him down by the neck. More unstructured attack follows; the ball bouncing, twirling, finding the turf. It ends up in the hands of Cook, who reclaims some pride with a slicing dash to the line. It was messy, but it was a moment, and it was seized. A tantalising taunt for Blues fans, who must wonder what could have been if Cook was playing in his rightful position. 20-6 with 22 on the clock.
Moses launches another bomb as the Blues look to manifest a resurgence. Walsh places himself underneath it in a total absence of fear. Queensland are once again entrenched in their own end, until Lindsay Collins (surely the game’s most improved kick chaser) reels in a midfield grubber, earning himself a breather after churning out 134 metres.
Queensland earn a repeat set with 17 on the clock, Junior Paulo goes high and gifts them a penalty shortly after. Walsh is again the middle man in a right side shift, Cook rushes in, Walsh times his pass and it’s Coates’ turn to get horizontal at altitude. He slams it down for his fourth try in seven appearances. Holmes kicks it from the right sideline, and it’s 26-6. Moment manufactured, and seized.
Jeremiah Nannai drives a charging Payne Haas back a few metres in one of those night defining moments. The Blues have been a prize fighter with a limited reach, willing but held firmly at bay by a taller opponent. Queensland continue bleeding them, playing some social touch footy in the midfield before Cameron Munster launches a bomb. Cook is again in the crosshairs and he drops it on the way down. Nanai pounces, claiming a maiden Origin try and living up to his ‘stuff happens around this guy’ tag. Holmes converts. 32-6. Moment improvised, and seized.
The final minutes are punctuated with a cocktail of frustration and joy. Walsh and Luai’s bubbling quarrel climaxes with a touching of foreheads. Addo-Carr throws a jab, all three depart. The Bulldogs winger, aggrieved from a night of limited opportunity and unlimited disappointment, turns his chin up in defiance as he saunters off. Luai leaves the field with resignation. Walsh jogs off, thumping the ‘Q’ on his chest. The siren sounds as Brad Fittler shakes hands with his bench; sending a quiet word the way of a crestfallen Tom Trbojevic. Questions over the selection of the injury prone superstar are reserved for another time.
“We knew they were coming, we knew they’d be desperate,” Cherry-Evans observes in his onfield interview. The 34 year old has put an exclamation mark on his long Origin career by sealing a third series win in four years, and he’s soaking it up.
The phrase ‘career-ending’ has been deployed in this article, and it doesn’t just apply to the Blues. The Gagai’s, Kaufusi’s and Ponga’s of the world will have been watching on; cheering the exploits of this new generation, while pondering what might have been if form, fitness and discipline had not got in the way. 2023 will be remembered as the series Queensland used to leapfrog their opponents (temporarily at least) with a potent combination of power, pace, precision and belief. Blues debutants Stefano Utoikamanu and Reece Robson were unable to inject themselves in the face of it, while Mitchell Moses tried his best to extract something out of a difficult scenario. Did their series end in the first three minutes? There’s a question many south of the border will want to ponder in the aftermath.
Queenslanders can swoon about the Cauldron all they like, and it would be foolish to dispute its status as a powerful patch of home turf. But it’s not all about the magic, it’s about the moments, and the 2023 Maroons have simply done a far better job of seizing them.