A SERIES whitewash and another slice of State of Origin history beckon for the Maroons after Queensland wrapped up the 2016 series with a 26-16 win over NSW in Game 2 at Suncorp Stadium.
Kevin Walters now stands on the cusp of joining Paul Vautin in the rarefied air of finishing their first series as coach with a 3-0 clean sweep.
The Maroons were terrific at Suncorp Stadium, fending off a late surge from the Blues to register an incredible 10 series wins from 11 years since Queensland’s greatest era started in 2006.
Dane Gagai scored three tries and was supreme on Queensland’s right flank, and Corey Oates scored the match-sealer on the other wing as the Maroons built on a 10-4 halftime lead to bury the Blues.
Between the two flanks, there were a host of star performers.
Skipper Cameron Smith was named man of the match, and Walters heaped rare praise on his captain after the game, saying the durable hooker had usurped the likes of Beetson, Lewis, and Meninga to take the mantle as Queensland’s greatest captain.
Alongside Smith, there were some extraordinary efforts in attack and defence, highlighted by interchange forward Josh Papalii, who delivered the type of Origin performance all Queenslanders had been waiting to see.
The halves were at their scheming best, the forwards hunted as a pack, and Greg Inglis played with power and venom in a performance that will haunt Dylan Walker’s dreams for years to come.
Despite the larger winning margin compared to the dour 6-4 win in Game 1, Queensland still had to dig deep to earn their win.
The defensive workload, especially in the first half, clearly took a toll on the Maroons as the Blues – buoyed by a new sense of self-belief – hammered the Queensland line.
But as in Game 1, the Maroons line somehow kept finding that little bit extra to repel the NSW raids, and keep their noses in front.
Walters, himself under the incredible pressure of expectation after inheriting the coach’s clipboard from Mal Meninga, should not be forgotten either – delivering a game plan to rock the Blues, but motivating his troops to deliver when Queensland needed them to.
He can now finish his first series as coach by delivering Queensland its first clean-sweep since 2010, but after the game Walters said he was not looking too far ahead.
“I haven’t even thought about that,” Walters said.
“To be honest, I couldn’t have asked for a better start.
“When I got the job, I felt extremely lucky and from the day we got together they haven’t disappointed me.
“It was a fantastic effort out there. I can’t be prouder of them.”
But Walters could not contain himself when praising the performance of his captain Smith, who he ranked in the highest echelon of men to have led the Maroons in Origin battle.
“I have played with some great captains but this guy (Smith) is something else,” Walters said.
“When Arthur Beetson ran out in 1980 (in Origin’s first game), I was there as a kid, there was a tremendous roar and I haven’t forgotten that feeling.
“But Cameron has put the icing on the cake with that performance. The way he leads the team, Queensland have had some great leaders, but none have been better than Cameron Smith.”
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