The fallout from New South Wales’ Game III victory has come thick and fast with Queensland legends, former players and media personalities not shying away from delivering brutal verdicts on the state’s defeat.
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After entering Wednesday night’s decider as favourite at Suncorp Stadium, Billy Slater’s side was completely outplayed on home soil as the Blues sealed one of their most memorable series triumphs.
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The result prompted interesting reactions from both sides of the border, with Queensland-born media pundit Brent Read unleashing on Blues fans while insisting that the Maroons had been on the wrong end of luck throughout the series.
“It’s an unusual feeling. You pathetic fools are the losers. You fluked the first game; the series should have been over. You got very lucky,” Read said on the CODE Sports podcast.
“Queensland got no luck in this series. You forgot what it’s like to celebrate so I understand.
“Enjoy your moment in the sun. All you idiots pinging me, enjoy your moment in the sun because it doesn’t last long because you don’t get it.”
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However, Read did admit that Queensland were outplayed in Game III.
“It was very disappointing. They got very outplayed and all my fears came true,” Read added.
“Nathan Cleary played out of his skin. He was the one fear I had. He won man of the match and the Wally Lewis Medal, so that was my concern.
“Queensland were off the pace from the start, completely disappointing.”
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Three-time Queensland Maroons representative Moses Mbye echoed those sentiments, conceding the Blues were simply the better side on the night.
“I think NSW outplayed the boys last night and it really hurts me to say that they played a better game,” the former NRL utility said on SEN Radio.
“Queensland started brilliantly, but we didn’t come up with the choccies and then NSW had a couple of good bits with the ball there and the rest is history.
“In State of Origin, the little things are the big things and once you lose momentum, it’s so hard to get back.
“He [Liam Martin] keeps me up at night, tenacious player and is made for State of Origin. I thought their halves played really well last night.
“We got outplayed. There were two quality teams out there and they did it better.”
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“New South Wales was absolutely the better side, but I do think the refereeing was poor,” former Brisbane Broncos winger Denan Kemp added on the Bloke in a Bar podcast.
“Essentially no one played their best footy. I thought Harry Grant was really quiet. I think there were moments he looked clunky.
“It’s hard to be to critical that this squad has delivered so much over the last four or five years but this was their game to lose.
“They tossed up a low completion rate, high errors and dominated physically and didn’t execute everything
Maroons dummy-half and Storm skipper Harry Grant added post-match, “We didn’t help ourselves and didn’t execute but credit to New South Wales.”
“They played a really good game for 80 minutes there and took their moments and made us pay.
“We love the support but obviously you want to show your appreciation with a result so it’s disappointing in that sense.
“Sorry that we couldn’t do that.”
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Meanwhile, Queensland legend Cameron Smith took aim at one of the game’s biggest talking points, blasting the Bunker’s decision to award Bradman Best’s second-half try despite Jack Bostock clearly touching the ball.
“I just can’t get over this call by the Bunker,” Smith said on Channel 9.
“It was a clear touch by Bostock at a crucial time when it’s only a two-try game.
“We just can’t get those wrong. We cannot get them wrong. Not in games like this.”
Former Maroons front-rower Shane Webcke shared Smith’s frustration, labelling the decision “disgraceful” and he continued to question the officiating despite acknowledging the Blues’ victory.
“That’s disgraceful. Take your victory, but it’s very hollow,” he said on Triple M.
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While Read and the former Queensland players dissected the Maroons’ shortcomings, Blues five-eighth Mitchell Moses fired back at the criticism aimed at New South Wales and coach Laurie Daley in the build-up to the series-decider.
This saw him declare that the team had silenced its doubters with a statement performance.
“Our team’s been bashed in the media by everyone. Our coach has been bashed in the media by his own people,” Mitchell Moses said on Triple M post-match.
“The only people that were going to change that were the 20 people that went out there and the coaching staff and whoever was in that camp.
“It’s only been done three times and this is the fourth time.
“We’ve been bashed in the media. (People saying) Queensland’s got more pride and it’s all f****** bull****.
“We’ve come out and showed the fight we have. Got lucky a few times but that’s footy and we did it.”