The 2017 State of Origin series is on the line on Wednesday when the two age old rivals collide for the second time this season. This time the New South Wales Blues and Queensland Maroons meet at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney and the home side know that if they win the match they will claim the series with a match to spare.
That is because they dominated the first match three weeks ago and ran out surprisingly easy winners. Queensland won’t give up their modern dominance without a fight though so we are set for an absolute belter of a second clash.
New South Wales Blues
If it could go right for the Blues then it did do in the first game of the series. Their younger legs stole the show and they ran out emphatic winners and the biggest compliment you can pay them is that at no time did the wide margin of the scoreline flatter them. They were well worth the huge score they won by.
A repeat of that performance would see them go very close to sealing the series in this match but this is Origin and the intensity and quality increases as we go on in the three matches so it might be that they need to find even more to come through this one despite the ease they won the first match with.
Queensland Maroons
One thing we know about the Queensland Maroons is that they are a proud bunch and they are not going to give up the shield lightly. It is in their DNA to come out fighting and that is exactly what I expect them to do here. They will have been hurt by how the first match went and will be all out to avoid a repeat.
Queensland did nothing right in the first match. Their kicking game wasn’t there. They couldn’t get any drives going because their forwards were dominated and in the end they spent the majority of the match defending their try line and to be fair they never really did that particularly well either. They have to have improved.
Team News
New South Wales are going into battle with the same 17 that won in Brisbane three weeks ago. That means Jarryd Hayne will continue in the centres.
It is all change for the Queensland Maroons with their spine being restored. Billy Slater and Johnathan Thurston are both restored to the side while Valentine Holmes also returns.
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Betting
We are all set up for a brilliant game of rugby and I don’t expect there to be too much between the two sides when all is said and done but I think the kicking game of Johnathan Thurston and the younger legs that Queensland Maroons have brought in to combat the mobility of the New South Wales pack could give them the edge.
I think we’ve seen the best New South Wales have to offer and now it is up to Queensland to counter that. I expect them to do that with their spine intact once again and at odds against the Maroons look great value to level up the series.
Tips
WON – Back Queensland to beat New South Wales for a 4/10 stake at 2.50 with Titanbet
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