League legends have grilled Queensland over the weird decision to let Spencer Leniu off the hook throughout Wednesday night time’s State of Origin opener in Brisbane.
A newspaper headline on Tuesday urged the Maroons to “smash this Blues grub” however the crew itself primarily rolled out the welcome mat for the fiery New South Wales prop.
Queensland media and followers needed the consultant gamers to reap revenge on Leniu after he verbally attacked league icon Johnathan Thurston throughout a sport earlier this 12 months.
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As an alternative, when Leniu got here on the sphere late within the first half, he was incensed that Queensland purposely kicked the ball away from him and after they did sort out him, there was little venom from the Maroons.
“We should always have kicked off on Spencer Leniu,” Corey Parker – who famously clashed with an upstart Blues rookie David Klemmer throughout a fiery Origin encounter in 2015 – instructed SEN radio.
Spencer Leniu expenses into the Queensland defence. Getty
“If Jaydn Su’A and (Corey) Horsburgh had been within the crew and we mentioned to kick off on Leniu, they’d have been frothing, eyeballs rolling within the head.”
The Maroons have beforehand thrived on anger and chaos on the State of Origin discipline.
Earlier than the collection opener, Wide World of Sports analysed how the friendly build-up to the game played into NSW’s hands.
Watch the 2025 State of Origin collection solely stay and free on 9 and 9Now.
Billy Slater refused to throw any verbal barbs throughout the Tweed and it appears his pleasant strategy leaked into the enjoying group.
Former long-time coach Mal Meninga was puzzled there appeared to be little aggro from the gamers on Wednesday.
“NSW dominated and there have been gamers on their aspect that had been ready to cop it on the chin,” he instructed SEN.
“The Queensland crew wants to seek out some solutions. It isn’t due to personnel, it is the best way they play.”
Former Blues enforcer Willie Mason teed off on Queensland on his Ranges Podcast.
“You are shit scared due to what (Leniu) did to Max King the week earlier than,” Mason mentioned, referencing a fearsome Leniu run off the kick-off at membership degree in opposition to the Bulldogs.
“That is a win for us and a win for him. To him it is like, ‘You do not even have the balls to kick it to me’.
“They all the time attempt to make somebody public enemy No.1 and since (Thurston) is such a god up there they assume they’ll get at him. However you may’t get beneath a bloke’s pores and skin like that.
“I needed that second for Queensland and for Suncorp. You referred to as him out, a name to arms if you’ll, and you then kicked it the opposite means… yuck.”
Intriguingly, legendary Queensland hardman Gorden Tallis defended the tactic to kick the ball away from Leniu, suggesting it was “sensible”.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui of the Maroons is pulled away by NSW Blues gamers. Getty
Titans veteran Kieran Foran – who has by no means performed Origin however represented New Zealand loads of occasions on the world stage – believes it may have laid the foundations for a Maroons comeback.
“It could present a mentality from Queensland in the event that they did kick to him,” Foran mentioned.
“Watching the sport, watching how NSW simply went after (Lindsay) Collins, that basically set a tone, it was a press release.
“Queensland most likely have gotten to look in there and ask why they did not do the identical factor, why did not they kick off to Spencer?
“It might probably encourage a bunch and raise each other. NSW did that higher than Queensland to be trustworthy.”
The Maroons have three weeks to ponder what went improper as they try and degree the collection in Perth on June 18.
