Cronk was happy to help Walters celebrate his first game taking over from the legendary Mal Meninga as Queensland coach.
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NSW coach Laurie Daley is on a collision course with the NRL, and rugby league history, as the Blues desperately seek to stave off another State of Origin series defeat.
Queensland coach Kevin Walters says he has done plenty of homework on rookie New South Wales fullback Matt Moylan for tonight’s opening Origin game in Sydney.
NSW centre Josh Morris looked to have put the Blues ahead when referee Gerard Sutton ruled he had scored a try in the 65th minute which electrified the big crowd.
Gagai’s 37th-minute try proved the eventual match-winner following a scoreless second half but he refused to take the credit for Queensland’s early advantage in the Holden State of Origin series.
That comes as a huge boost to Queensland, who have won nine of the past 10 Origin series.
The Morris decision left the Blues seething, with hooker Robbie Farah venting his frustration with the refereeing performance.
New South Wales endured more State of Origin misery as they were beaten by Queensland in a low-scoring first game of the series.
The South Sydney sharpshooter also botched a conversion attempt that he’d ordinarily slot with his eyes closed, the miss ultimately proving the difference in the two-point ball game.
Walters had been prepared to play North Queensland’s Michael Morgan at five-eighth and shift Johnathan Thurston to halfback had Cronk given him the thumbs down.
Daley was upset over a number of decisions, primarily the overturning of a NSW scrum feed late in the game with the Blues deep on the attack.
“At the end of the day, it was 6-4, and (we had) a lot of young ones in the team but they learnt pretty easy and we’re sticking together and we’ll just move forward from here”.
He joked: “We’ll get them back in”.
I think NSW had Queensland covered for most of the contest.
“Origin is all about effort, not the best plays”.
If NSW can’t beat Queensland with Cronk playing injured, what chance do they have when he’s back to his best, especially in Brisbane?
At around the 50-minute mark, reserve forwards Andrew Fifita and Dave Klemmer really imposed their will on the game.
James Maloney showed the poise, maturity and level-head that he has been displaying for the Sharks all season long, and also put Boyd Cordner over for the Blues’ only try.
TO hear both captain’s speak, one would think there had been a moratorium declared on State of Origin mind games.
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Walters said he would let Cronk make the final call.
