🏉 Queensland Are Kings Of Origin Again

Good morning, it's Thursday, 14 July. Hello darkness, my old friend. Queensland have won State of Origin again. It's a particularly bleak morning for NSW fans, which includes the author of this newsletter. But, even the most passionate Blues fans (again, your author speaking) would admit it was a game for the ages and the Maroons deserved the win. Well, Joey Johns might not agree...

⏱ 1237 words = 7 minutes

👀 Buddy could be retiring...

THE MAIN GAME

🏉 Mighty Maroons give NSW the Blues

Last night, for 80 glorious minutes, rugby league fans were transported back to the 1980s for a throwback State of Origin classic that was brutal, brilliant and bloody fun to watch.

The score: Queensland 22 beat NSW 12 to win the series 2-1

Golden points: It was winner takes all last night at a heaving Suncorp Stadium full of fans that looked like they'd (responsibly) been on the mangoes and sugarcane champagne all day.

• It was carnage from kick off. Cameron Murray (NSW), Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins (Qld) were all out of the game with concussion from big hits inside the first 4 minutes.

• Then the biff was back! Maroons centre Dane Gagai threw down with Blues rookie Matt Burton and both players were sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes to cool their jets.

• The Blues dominated the first half and looked good to go into the sheds at halftime up 12-6, but an error by Blues winger Daniel Tupou gave the Maroons a minute to score and they did to make it 12-10.

• Whatever Maroons coach Billy Slater said at halftime worked because it was all Queensland in the 2nd half. NSW made costly error after costly error, and even though they defended valiantly, man of the match Kalyn Ponga score the go-ahead try, and then Ben Hunt sealed it with a long-range try with about a minute left on the clock.

They said it: "It’s what Queensland’s all about. It’s about hard work, really digging in when the backs are against the wall. We did it again it tonight,” - Ben Hunt was exhausted but elated after the win.

The stat: The win means Queensland have won the past 6 deciders played in Brisbane and 9 of the past 10 deciders since the Blues won in 2005.

Watch it: Check out the highlights from one of the best Origin matches ever, even if you're a Blues fan.

QUICK SINGLES

⛳️ Golf: The 150th British Open starts today at St Andrews and we've got 11 Aussies gunning for the Claret Jug. Cameron Smith is the highest-ranked Aussie among the 11 but watch out for former runners-up Adam Scott and Mark Leishman. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm are a few of the favourites, but really anybody can win. Tiger Woods will be there, so will the bad boys from the rebel LIV Golf tour, except CEO Greg Norman, but let's hope everybody gets along and golf (or an Aussie) is the winner.

• 📺 The early tee times and time zone are very friendly for us here in Australia, so coverage will start at 3:30pm AEST on Foxtel and Kayo.

🏉 AFL: Buddy might bounce if he gets lowballed by the Swans. That's what a Herald Sun report said yesterday about Sydney Swans star Lance Franklin, who will consider retirement or playing for another club if the Swans don't offer him enough cash. The report says Franklin has been offered about $500k for next season, less than half of what he's on this year, and if the Swans don't up it the report says he could be done with Sydney. But another report, this one by the Sydney Morning Herald, says the Swans are confident they'll sign Franklin for 2023 and that he wants to remain a Swan.

🏏 Cricket: South Africa have pulled out of an ODI series against Australia next year but it ain't all bad news. South Africa were meant to play 3 one-dayers smack bang in the middle of next January, but back in May they asked for it to be moved so it didn't clash with their brand new T20 league at home. Problem is, the cricket calendar is jam packed and a new date couldn't be found, so the series has been canned. It means Australia's best one-day players can now play in the Big Bash, which suffered a dip in TV ratings without big names being available.

🥊 Boxing: The gloves are ON for the biggest fight of Tim Tszyu's career. Tszyu became the #1 contender for the light middleweight belts worn by American Jarmell Charlo when he beat Terrell Gausha in March. There was a bit of trash talk thrown around by both fighters (hey, it's boxing, that's half the fun) but now that Tszyu has had surgery on his busted hands and the money situation has been sorted, the fight is going down on January 28 in the States, with an exact location TBD.

🥇 Comm Games: My Mumma always says it's better to be safe than sorry, and so does the Australian Commonwealth Games team. The Comm Games start in 2 weeks in the UK city of Birmingham with COVID-19 still very much a big concern for athletes and organisers. The Games have set out their own COVID protocols, but the Aussies have gone one step further just to be safe. Aussies athletes will have to wear a mask unless they're competing, walking outside or in their hotel room to reduce the risk of getting the spicy cough.

LEFT OF FIELD

🏉 Origin: Footy fans who stuck around to watch Channel 9's post-match analysis of last night's Origin classic have noticed Blues legend Andrew 'Joey' Johns taking the loss extra hard. He was hurting as though he'd been out there playing and was ah, brief, when talking about the result. But what's got the most attention, and a well-hidden smirk from Maroons great Cameron Smith standing next to him, was when Johns was asked by Queenslander Paul Vautin where the Blues lost the game. Johns said: "It's just those big moments. Now we have to listen to all the bullshit youse go on with for the next 12 months. Drives you mad." Watch it and see for yourself.

📽 Highlight reel: The run. The catch. The crash into the wall. Check out this gutsy catch by Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer in the major leagues yesterday.

📸 Photo finish: This is to cheer up any Blues fans out there and a shout out to all the dog lovers too. Aussie basketballer Ben Simmons with a cute dog that dead-set could be a stuffed toy. We're investigating.

THE POLLING BOOTH

Yesterday's result: 54.84% incorrectly predicted NSW would win the decider last night.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

• ⚾️ 11:30am - MLB - Angels v Astros - Angels Stadium - Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 3:30pm - British Open - 1st Round - St Andrews, Scotland - Foxtel, Kayo

All times AEST

THE MANAGER'S OFFICE

There's only one thing the manager hates more than a bunch of wet towels on the floor, and that's a referral that's gone missing... Tell your teammates, supporters, and physio about us. No one likes a ball hog...