Valentine Holmes says Queensland took enough positives out of their defeat in State of Origin I to believe they can beat NSW on home soil in game two and – just as they did last year – force a decider in Brisbane.
Holmes produced another strong display for the Maroons in game one in Melbourne, scoring his fifth Origin try in just his third game.
There is plenty of optimism around the young Blues team after their 22-12 victory heading into game two at ANZ Stadium on Sunday night. But Holmes believes Queensland did not get the rub of the green on or off the field in game one.
A badly disrupted preparation hurt the Maroons in Melbourne with Ben Hunt and Dane Gagai battling injury as well as the late withdrawal of Billy Slater. While the Queenslanders were only given a solitary penalty during the entire 80 minutes at the MCG.
“Especially considering what happened during the week with the team with Slater and a few of the boys didn’t train until almost our last session,” Holmes said.
“I thought the first half we were pretty much all over them even though they had the points. But I thought we had pretty good possession, we controlled the ball ok and in the second half we just sort of fell away a bit.
“They got a few good calls which helps out in those occasions. There wasn’t many penalties in the second half and they didn’t give us any so it was pretty fast.”
NSW scored a similarly impressive victory in game one last year and held a 16-6 lead in Sydney in game two before being run down. That set up the decider in Brisbane, which the Maroons dominated to win 22-6.
Holmes and young Manly star Tom Trbojevic, likely to form the nucleus of Australian back lines for potentially the next decade, produced a scintillating battle on opposing wings in game one and will renew acquaintances when Queensland’s left side of Holmes and captain Greg Inglis again take on the Blues’ right side of Trbojevic and James Roberts.
The Blues’ speedy youngsters were outstanding in game one but Holmes said Queensland had learnt much from the defeat.
“They picked a very fast team so that made the game a bit faster,” Holmes said.
“There were less penalties, not many errors. It did feel a bit fatiguing out there especially for the middles. They would have been feeling it a bit.
“But it was similar to last year as well, it was quite physical and pretty fast.”
It has also been a different feeling around the Cronulla camp for Holmes as the Sharks’ only Origin representative.
That has led to plenty of good-natured banter from his club teammates but Holmes is confident it will be he – and Queensland – who again have the last laugh.
“It is a bit weird, usually there’s about three or four [Cronulla players] at least [playing Origin]. In a way it’s good for the team to have all the boys in and help out where they can,” Holmes said.
“I’m not only the only Origin rep but the only Queenslander. They’re all sort of NSW boys. They’ve all been giving it to me since I’ve been back [after game one].
“Just from Gal and that saying ‘it’s alright, your time is over, it’s time for NSW to win.’
“But we’ll see.”
