Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to an O three sixty rugby league.
Speaker 1: From every angle, Queensland has done it again. With their
Speaker 1: backs to the wall and series on the line. Kevin
Speaker 1: Monster inspired the Maroons to a stunning victory in Perth,
Speaker 1: with the stage now set for an epic finale in Sydney.
Speaker 2: So much on the line for the Blues to prospect
Speaker 2: of their second consecutive series win. For Queensland, chance to
Speaker 2: keep the series alive. Blue White puts it on the toe.
Speaker 2: Kick forward by criton Brian toe.
Speaker 1: He plays it down.
Speaker 3: Died, he goes.
Speaker 2: Out the back expire they've got them tenby Hine. Fino
Speaker 2: scores for Queensland. He'll kick out wine chance the Wiphee.
Speaker 2: Queensland have believe at Aubie half great Ghost of Munster.
Speaker 2: Muster goes in for Queensland. It is all of the Roons.
Speaker 4: It is only.
Speaker 3: Half Clearings to his outside, comes.
Speaker 2: Back to the middle.
Speaker 3: It just keeps on giving.
Speaker 1: Stefano you doin Kommando standing in the line, died.
Speaker 2: Short, Paul Man comes back to Capewell.
Speaker 3: They lead by twenty penalty camp What are your thoughts
Speaker 3: on matter? Hot? I can't tell you what I wanted
Speaker 3: to think. So I'm not gonna say New South Wales
Speaker 3: they got fine power to chase down this school board.
Speaker 3: They need to get Stephen Crichton and Latrell Mitchell into
Speaker 3: this contest.
Speaker 2: Comes to Mitchel, quick hands. Brian Thomas scores neutle store
Speaker 2: from Latron Mitchell under pressure, Edwards on the sweep, brightened
Speaker 2: to watch the sideline and also the time here come
Speaker 2: the Blues were.
Speaker 3: On the sideline.
Speaker 2: Another good kick and another one that hits the upright
Speaker 2: and stays out.
Speaker 3: He is low light out the back.
Speaker 2: Bitch too off for the time, want to chat back?
Speaker 2: This is this is an enormous kick me and it's
Speaker 2: a tough one to put them within striking distance. Missus
Speaker 2: in the right hand side once again, blue light, rubbers,
Speaker 2: rides and crimes and James Rice, you said, wild boy,
Speaker 2: what a second half? Cleary the first man often passed
Speaker 2: lost the ball. Big defensive stands for Queensland.
Speaker 4: That's what Queenslanders do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they do it together. Queensland will send state of
Speaker 2: origin for twenty twenty five to a signy showdown.
Speaker 3: That's what Also we'll see how we're young.
Speaker 2: Game three Queensland twenty six had been the Blues in
Speaker 2: p twenty four.
Speaker 1: What a win it was from the Queensland Orange joining
Speaker 1: me the Queenslander himself, Gordon Tallas. Let's been a journeys
Speaker 1: in buzz Rothfield and James Hooper and guys.
Speaker 3: It's official.
Speaker 1: The Blues are in crisis. But we did it after
Speaker 1: game one, so we thought it was appropriate to do
Speaker 1: it after game too, Gordy, straight off the bat, how
Speaker 1: do you feel?
Speaker 3: Oh, well, it was good. I think we had to
Speaker 3: play like that obviously after game one, especially last year
Speaker 3: losing the series, the boys had to react and they did.
Speaker 3: They went out there and they had a great first half,
Speaker 3: probably put the Q in irak and New South Wales
Speaker 3: were coming to get us in the end. But it
Speaker 3: was a great night to be a Queenslander too.
Speaker 4: The NRL is not in crisis. From full time last
Speaker 4: night till mid afternoon this afternoon, they sold twenty thousand
Speaker 4: tickets to the decider in a couple of weeks, so
Speaker 4: if you want to go to that game, they'd tell
Speaker 4: me there's a couple of thousand left. So that result
Speaker 4: last night has set us up for a must watch event.
Speaker 3: It was going to be a ripper.
Speaker 5: Given all the changes that Billy made and it was
Speaker 5: only DC and both Firmer who were dropped out of
Speaker 5: the side, but there were nine positional changes in terms
Speaker 5: of who was stationed where on the field. That's major
Speaker 5: surgery and I think given what was at stake the
Speaker 5: pre game lead up the fact that Billy had to
Speaker 5: come out on the morning of the game and do
Speaker 5: that press conference with the apology to Paul Green's family,
Speaker 5: it was an immense victory for the Marines. I'd put
Speaker 5: it up there as good as when you captain that
Speaker 5: side in two thousand and one and Wayne made all
Speaker 5: those changes when he was coach and Alfie came back
Speaker 5: for the final game. Were also in twenty twenty when
Speaker 5: they were written off by our great mate Dennis and
Speaker 5: Bullfrog as the worst Coinsland side of all time.
Speaker 1: Last year, Captain Kevin Monster Crossing Live to him a
Speaker 1: little later on in the show, so we'll ask him
Speaker 1: about his performance and also what it rates in terms
Speaker 1: of his performances and origin for him. Now, Gordy Queensland
Speaker 1: needed to be better.
Speaker 3: They were better. How did they beat New South Wales O?
Speaker 3: Well just but we beat them one aford earlier. I
Speaker 3: thought you know, with a really big side, we had
Speaker 3: to get up. We had to cut down their time
Speaker 3: and space and you had to be as one. I
Speaker 3: thought our line spied was good. I thought our contact
Speaker 3: was great. In game one, I think we missed fifty
Speaker 3: something tackles. Last night there was thirty. So we were
Speaker 3: better in the collision. New South was probably probably went
Speaker 3: away with what they were so good at. But I
Speaker 3: thought we were better in the collision and we won
Speaker 3: to feel those battles, you know, and some of those
Speaker 3: hits last night we're out steaming.
Speaker 1: Yeah, they were, You're right, Like from the they set
Speaker 1: the tone from the get go, which they didn't do
Speaker 1: in game one.
Speaker 3: You could tell.
Speaker 1: Straight away that you could, even by the look in
Speaker 1: their eyes, the way they were carrying, their body language,
Speaker 1: their speed of the line, their contact, their kick chase,
Speaker 1: their kicking game was the lead and a lot better
Speaker 1: than New South Wales was, which wasn't in Game one,
Speaker 1: and all that were lad.
Speaker 4: God, you talk about those first half tries and you
Speaker 4: know it should have nearly been a match winning lead,
Speaker 4: which turned out to be the most impressive thing was
Speaker 4: that last five minutes of defense, and particularly when Ponga
Speaker 4: did that. It was a controversial knock on. I thought
Speaker 4: which got the Blues another six.
Speaker 3: Isn't it.
Speaker 4: I thought the Blues were paying a dollar eight to win.
Speaker 4: At that stage they were gone Queenside, coming to get us.
Speaker 4: But they found something that is so typical of Queensland
Speaker 4: sides and look, New South Wales have done it before,
Speaker 4: but the gate was open there for the Blues to
Speaker 4: us to do it.
Speaker 3: You kept us the four one game, you kept us
Speaker 3: a six month game, so that's not too bad. But
Speaker 3: when they were coming, they had the momentum for us
Speaker 3: to dig the heels and it was on the line.
Speaker 3: New South Wales had everything going in their favor and
Speaker 3: I don't know how many says we just what's the replay? Inside?
Speaker 3: It felt like, you know, they're on their trial and
Speaker 3: for probably the last fifteen minutes and it just and
Speaker 3: you've got to keep on turning up buzz. And that's
Speaker 3: what they did to keep it alive, to sell out
Speaker 3: your stage.
Speaker 4: Make you're in a much better mood than you were.
Speaker 4: This we wake up such a difference between you as
Speaker 4: a winner and loser.
Speaker 3: I'm never seen a happier man.
Speaker 1: So good, so good, and Billy Slattery he had to
Speaker 1: make some tough calls and it's fair to say that
Speaker 1: he's been vindicated with those. Every call that he made
Speaker 1: would turned out to be a master straight Let's start
Speaker 1: with DC dropped, d c didn't came in, didn't was outstanding.
Speaker 1: A lot of people questioned whether that was the right
Speaker 1: decision from the head coach, and he's got this one right.
Speaker 3: Deedon's is one of those players and energy player. He
Speaker 3: runs a lot. I think he freed up Cameron months.
Speaker 3: I think Cameron, with his respect, probably gave a bit
Speaker 3: too much to daily Cherry Evans for like run on
Speaker 3: the side. But as a combination, I thought they were
Speaker 3: outstanding last night and they had to be playing playing.
Speaker 3: You know, the sixth and seven for New South Wales
Speaker 3: had one full cons in a row.
Speaker 5: He had the blow torch on him. Tommy didn't know question.
Speaker 5: Gus Gauld came out and obviously put a eap of
Speaker 5: pressure on the fact that he was a rookie playmaker
Speaker 5: and also questioned and I thought rightly so, I think
Speaker 5: most people did, how Coinsland's kicking game was going to work.
Speaker 5: DC is such a prolific long kicker of the football,
Speaker 5: but it's straight in Coinsland's attacking so much broth you
Speaker 5: must have I know you're a Blue, but yeah, the
Speaker 5: tip your hat to the way that the way that did.
Speaker 5: And also Monthster just was so direct.
Speaker 3: With the ball.
Speaker 1: Kevin was after game one, wasn't happy with his running game.
Speaker 1: I went back to Melbourne and just rendered all games.
Speaker 1: He could tell that he'd either been given a message
Speaker 1: from Billy or just gone back with his own intention
Speaker 1: to run the football more, be more directors. That's when
Speaker 1: he's at his best and didn't is a threat at
Speaker 1: any time because he goes deep in the line. He's courageous.
Speaker 1: He takes the line on a number of times and
Speaker 1: he thinks run first. We showed his Cameron and so
Speaker 1: that they were great, but their kicking game so if
Speaker 1: you were concerned about their kicking game it was.
Speaker 3: It was out standing the last night in the wed
Speaker 3: It has to be so in the web. That's when
Speaker 3: your kicking game has to be spot on and it was.
Speaker 1: Now Kemra Munster obviously great last night play the match
Speaker 1: led the team superbly.
Speaker 3: Is he the long term captain now? Absolutely? You know what,
Speaker 3: I think he's waited for this moment. You know how
Speaker 3: you're just not sure. But when he got it how
Speaker 3: we addressed it. We spoke to him last Sunday on
Speaker 3: radio and he actually put everything on himself, which means
Speaker 3: that he owned the side. The way he played was
Speaker 3: absolutely outstanding. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, but
Speaker 3: they certainly followed him.
Speaker 5: What I found some interesting Gordian buzzles. He wasn't always
Speaker 5: the most logical choice camera monster, because he isn't the
Speaker 5: captain for the Melbourne Storm, and you've got Harry Grant
Speaker 5: who is, and then you've also got players like Tino
Speaker 5: and other senior figures that are in that as he
Speaker 5: basically had five or half a dozen choice is that
Speaker 5: he could have gone with. But clearly Billy, being the
Speaker 5: sharp tactician that he is, has thought, okay, well, which
Speaker 5: players are going to lift the most and which player
Speaker 5: is going to revel in the responsibility. And it's that
Speaker 5: care free Alarican that Cameron can sometimes be. He's also
Speaker 5: got to steally focus and he just that added responsibility.
Speaker 5: He reveled in it.
Speaker 4: I thought he came of age as a rugby league
Speaker 4: player last night, the all round rugby league player, and
Speaker 4: it was his body language and the way he discussed
Speaker 4: things with the referee. Remember there was a general warning
Speaker 4: and he politely says, is that a warning?
Speaker 3: Sir?
Speaker 4: And you know he and then he went down and
Speaker 4: he told all his players and I couldn't believe it
Speaker 4: was the Cameron monster of two or three years ago.
Speaker 3: And he enjoyed the moment. Look, he scored that Troy.
Speaker 3: He went back. He was like he was rallying the troops.
Speaker 3: He was getting the crowd behind him. It was a
Speaker 3: fantastic notl I'm proud.
Speaker 1: Of you because you talk about those moments where he's
Speaker 1: not the captain of Melbourne and the Alaric and and
Speaker 1: you know, having his issues years ago, and I think
Speaker 1: over time a lot of people probably haven't taken him
Speaker 1: serious in that department as a leader, and he's always
Speaker 1: believed that he is one. I know it hurt him
Speaker 1: not getting the captaincy at Melbourne. That's something we sort
Speaker 1: of spoke about. And to give and to give be
Speaker 1: given the captaincy of Queens then who is which is
Speaker 1: everything to him?
Speaker 5: Was?
Speaker 1: You could see I could tell you know when he
Speaker 1: when he got and how much it meant to him,
Speaker 1: and you could see by his performance what it means
Speaker 1: to him. But he was under a lot of pressure too,
Speaker 1: Like he didn't want to come out, he coming as.
Speaker 3: The underdone queens. The massive pressure, enormous pressure.
Speaker 5: You think of all the champions that have worn that
Speaker 5: number six jumper, from Wally Lewis to Darren Lockey to
Speaker 5: Kevin Wolders and for Cameron to go out and yeah,
Speaker 5: for Cameron to go out and produce the all round
Speaker 5: dominant leadership display that he did, it's a credit for him.
Speaker 3: What about Harry Grant.
Speaker 1: We were the first to be critical of him and
Speaker 1: his performance in Game one, and I think he would
Speaker 1: admit he didn't play great in Game one, but what
Speaker 1: a response like he went back to Melbourne, played the
Speaker 1: eighty minutes last weekend and with the intention of getting
Speaker 1: like a horse, really getting himself set for the race
Speaker 1: which was which was yesterday or last night, and boy
Speaker 1: did he deliver.
Speaker 3: He was outstanding. Gordy I think fifty odd tackles as well.
Speaker 3: Obviously he had a poor night in Game one, but
Speaker 3: I say, you want him to come out and respond,
Speaker 3: and he did that. He went back to Maltain storm
Speaker 3: was fantastic. They do get at him a lot, They
Speaker 3: try to take away his energy, but just the way
Speaker 3: he steered him around the park and really tough conditions
Speaker 3: for both sides. Last night, I thought, I thought Harry
Speaker 3: was absolutely outstanding.
Speaker 5: When we sat here and critiqued his performance after the
Speaker 5: State of Origin one and the Marines had lost eight
Speaker 5: and six and Harry took, by his own admission, had
Speaker 5: taken some wrong options. We said at the time he
Speaker 5: won't play two games as bad as that. Last night,
Speaker 5: once again, he just vindicated what a champion he is.
Speaker 5: Buzz you must.
Speaker 4: Have been for Do you want to put him on
Speaker 4: the bench?
Speaker 3: Didn't cat or something?
Speaker 5: Yes, he wanted ruber Cott at hooker.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Look, Harry Grant.
Speaker 5: He's only a part time Coinsland.
Speaker 4: Harry Grant's the best hooker forward in the country at
Speaker 4: the moment.
Speaker 3: He showed last night.
Speaker 4: And look, every player at this level is going to
Speaker 4: have a bad night all right now. He had a shocker,
Speaker 4: Let's be serious in game one. It just was not him.
Speaker 4: But if they were picking the Australian side tomorrow, he
Speaker 4: would be one of the first chosen.
Speaker 3: It's the hooker. He was brilliant last night.
Speaker 1: What about the coach Billy Slater? He is the hero today.
Speaker 1: But there was a hell of a lot of drama
Speaker 1: leading up to this game. You mentioned it had to
Speaker 1: apologize to the poor Green family, had the dramas with
Speaker 1: Aaron Woods in the press conference the day before that,
Speaker 1: and if he hadn't got the result last night, who
Speaker 1: knows what pressure he would have been feeling this morning.
Speaker 1: So it was a monumental result for him.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4: And look what he said on game Eve was unfortunate
Speaker 4: and it was wrong. He should never have said that.
Speaker 4: From that moment though, phone called Amanda Green to me
Speaker 4: showed the real Billy Slater, a man with a lot
Speaker 4: of class who owned up to making a terrible mistake
Speaker 4: and upsetting the Green family with the way Paul was
Speaker 4: brought into the story. I do know Amanda Green, Paul's wife,
Speaker 4: has spoken to Jess Hallerin and The Australian this afternoon
Speaker 4: and released his statement. And Amanda is completely fine now
Speaker 4: with Billy Slater. She really really appreciated and respected his
Speaker 4: phone call. They were upset when they saw the press conference,
Speaker 4: but she's forgiven and she made it clear she's got
Speaker 4: a lot of time for Billy and I think it's
Speaker 4: a nice ending to a very very unfortunate story.
Speaker 5: Pressure can do incredible things to coaches in the Origin arena,
Speaker 5: and we saw it a few seasons ago with Freddie Fitler,
Speaker 5: who when he first came in had a fantastic start
Speaker 5: to his career in charge of the Blues, brought in
Speaker 5: the and the Earth thing and i'll raft of different
Speaker 5: gravy style of looking at things. But then after losing
Speaker 5: a series in twenty twenty and the wheel started to
Speaker 5: come off a little bit, well, you could really see
Speaker 5: the pressure started to get to Freddie. And it felt
Speaker 5: as watching Billy in the press conference the day before
Speaker 5: last night, that clearly the pressure was starting to get
Speaker 5: to him. And I think he would acknowledge that now
Speaker 5: that I'd no issue with what he said, aside from
Speaker 5: when he brought up Paul Green. I thought, okay, well,
Speaker 5: I can't really see the correlation there.
Speaker 1: His apology was genuine, and I believe they're a bit
Speaker 1: of it, but he can't overlook what he did that day.
Speaker 1: And you know, bringing the Paul Green family into it
Speaker 1: suicides a horrible thing and they will be grieving for
Speaker 1: the rest of their lives. As I said last week,
Speaker 1: I've experienced and it was just unnecessary and hopefully learn
Speaker 1: from a billy, you know. Like I think we've spoken
Speaker 1: about coaches in the past, like it's how you react
Speaker 1: when you're under pressure. It really shows what you what
Speaker 1: you're made of, and that's what gives you longevity in
Speaker 1: our game, is how you respond to pressure and how
Speaker 1: you respond to losses. And that's why the great coaches
Speaker 1: respond so well, you know. So I think it was
Speaker 1: a good learning curve for him, But he's response in
Speaker 1: terms of on the field and the players, they definitely
Speaker 1: aimed up for him, didn't.
Speaker 3: They absolutely, And he owned that moment. Yeah, you know
Speaker 3: what we you do feel the pressure, you know what
Speaker 3: I mean? And I feel I'm not even part of
Speaker 3: it now, but just like around Origin and like I
Speaker 3: was up in Ken's yes, stay and what it means
Speaker 3: and when you coach your so well or play like
Speaker 3: you feel that pressure. And I couldn't imagine going out
Speaker 3: there sitting in a box. You've done everything possible, but
Speaker 3: I feel helpless, Like you feel like you can't do
Speaker 3: anything as a coach. You'd rather be playing, And like
Speaker 3: they sit there and we always, you know, we always
Speaker 3: critique them, but it's a high pressure job coaching Queensland
Speaker 3: and you so well and they do a fantastic.
Speaker 1: I'll tell you what, it is a high pressure job too,
Speaker 1: God being a referee. So let's get to the penalty count.
Speaker 1: Now you're feelthy there. There's probably a lot of New
Speaker 1: South Wales fairs waiting for this moment where we talk
Speaker 1: about the penalty count eight mil in the first half
Speaker 1: to Queensland when New South Wales that ill disciplined.
Speaker 4: I think New South Wales were ill disciplined and I
Speaker 4: don't have too many problems with the eight penalties they conceded.
Speaker 4: The problem I do have is that anyone can look
Speaker 4: at that first half of football on a replay and
Speaker 4: find four or five areas of the game where Queensland
Speaker 4: could quite easily have been panelized as well. In my eyes,
Speaker 4: he was referring one side for a majority of that
Speaker 4: first half. I know we're ill disciplined, and I'm not
Speaker 4: even blaming it for the loss because we had our
Speaker 4: chance in the second half to get back. But Gordie,
Speaker 4: you cannot be perfect in origin for forty five minutes possible.
Speaker 3: We were you weren't We weren't we were? I read
Speaker 3: about it. We weren't you, weren't we weren't made it
Speaker 3: happen to listen. We didn't talk about it. In Game
Speaker 3: two last year when we got blown off the park.
Speaker 3: I think there was six or seven restartt set restarts,
Speaker 3: and we couldn't keep up when you're defending and