Queensland will need to call on every ounce of its fabled fighting spirit to salvage this year’s State of Origin series after imploding on the tarmac in the opening game in Townsville. The Maroons were battered 50-6 by the rampaging Blues, giving the Queenslanders their biggest Origin loss in Origin’s 41 years with a 44-point
Queensland has landed some significant wins in this year’s State of Origin series before Paul Green’s Maroons even take the field. Green on Monday announced a 20-man Maroons squad for his first game as Maroons coach, with Parramatta hooker Reed Mahoney and Cowboys premiership winger Kyle Feldt the new faces. While there are clouds over
REED Mahoney has received the ultimate Origin endorsement, with Queensland’s most-capped player Cameron Smith declaring the Eels hooker is ready for a Maroons debut. If anyone is qualified to assess a hooker’s Origin bona fides, it is Smith, the legendary rake who amassed a record 42 matches for Queensland with an iron-clad grip on the
QUEENSLAND skipper Daly Cherry-Evans says his ability to strike a strong relationship with new coach Paul Green will be crucial to the Maroons’ hopes of retaining the State of Origin shield this season. Despite having played in the NRL for 10 years and amassed 246 first-grade games in that time, Cherry-Evans has remarkably never crossed
QUEENSLAND’s two most recent coaches Wayne Bennett and Kevin Walters have paid tribute to Michael Morgan and Jake Friend in the wake of their sudden retirements from the NRL. The Queensland Origin family was rocked last week when Morgan and Friend drew the curtain on their glittering careers, just 48 hours apart, after both waged
MAROONS legend Cameron Smith will be groomed for a possible role as Queensland Origin coach after officially calling time on his glorious NRL career. The six-month guessing game surrounding Smith’s playing future was finally put to bed a fortnight ago when the Melbourne Storm icon formally announced his retirement after a decorated 18-year career. The
CAMERON Munster has warned the Blues he is about to get better as the Queensland Origin superstar sets his sights on becoming the NRL’s No.1 player this season. Munster celebrated one of the highpoints of his career last November when he won the Wally Lewis Medal as State of Origin’s player of the series for
JARROD Wallace admits he was “gutted” to be axed by the Maroons for last year’s Origin series and is hoping a bumper fightback with the Titans this season can catapult him back into a Queensland jumper. Wallace has carved out a reputation as a quality NRL front-rower, having amassed 152 first-grade games since his debut
NEW Queensland coach Paul Green has vowed to uphold the Wayne Bennett legacy that propelled the Maroons to one of the greatest series wins in Origin history. Green has been officially unveiled as Bennett’s successor for the 2021 State of Origin series – five years after he was appointed to replace Mal Meninga, before being
WAYNE Bennett has not ruled out another return as Maroons coach despite submitting his resignation in the wake of his magical mission bringing the Origin shield back to Queensland. Bennett informed the Queensland Rugby League he would not return to Camp Maroon next season, the revelation coming just six weeks after he engineered one of
