Stat of Origin: Try-scoring strike rates show Gagai lifts for Origin
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Maroons winger and Rabbitohs centre Dane Gagai has enjoyed one of the most explosive starts to an Origin career in interstate history with a stunning seven tries in as many games since his 2015 debut.
Try-scoring sensation Valentine Holmes actually boasts easily the best strike rate of the past 10 years with four tries in just two Holden State of Origin games for what will surely prove to be an unsustainable strike rate of two tries per game.
But Gagai's effort of seven tries in seven games for an even strike rate of one per game stands in stark contrast of his recent club form.
NRL.com Stats show over the same period – 65 NRL games for Newcastle and Souths since his Origin debut – Gagai has scored just six tries in 65 games, meaning he actually has more Origin tries than club tries in that period in 58 fewer games.
Looking at the best strike rates of the past 10 years it is perhaps surprising not to see the strike-rate list dominated by Maroons.
Israel Folau (seven in eight games at 0.88) had a brief but spectacular haul before departing the code while under-utilised Blues fullback Brett Stewart (four tries in six games at 0.67 per game) is next.
Darius Boyd was a controversial omission from this year's series opener but has the best strike rate over a bigger sample size with 17 in 28 games or 0.61 per game.
Next is newly-minted Maroons skipper Greg Inglis, Origin's all-time leading scorer, whose 18 tries in 30 matches includes 13 in 26 games over the past 10 series at a strike rate of 0.5.
Jarryd Hayne, arguably NSW's best player of the past decade, is the best of the Blues over a longer period with 0.45 (nine tries in 20 games) while there are a few surprising entrants on the next rung down in Josh Morris and Ben Creagh (both 0.36) with Josh ahead of twin Brett (0.27). Billy Slater and Michael Jennings (both 0.33) also feature in the top 10.
Other notable scorers from before the past decade include Anthony Minichiello (eight in 11 games for 0.73), Ryan Girdler (seven in eight for 0.88), Matt King (six in nine for 0.67) and Kerry Boustead and Lote Tuqiri (both five in six for 0.83).
