Stat of Origin: Telstra Tracker data highlights Cordner's captain's knock

Anyone keeping a close eye on the first game of the Holden State of Origin series would have noticed the relentless 80-minute captain's knock from Blues skipper Boyd Cordner but new Telstra Tracker Data highlights just how little the Roosters co-captain left in the tank.

The GPS tracking technology monitors players' work rates through metrics such as total distance covered, ball-in-play intensity, total match time intensity, top speed and number of sprints.

Incredibly, Cordner was the only one of the 26 players to start the match to lift his intensity in the second half.

Cordner covered the second greatest distance of any player over 80 minutes behind teammate Nathan Cleary, with 7.6 kilometres.

Blues bench forward Paul Vaughan recorded the highest ball-in-play intensity reading of any player with 119.3, working himself so hard in his 26 minutes on field he vomited after his spell.

Yet amazingly Cordner, who played 54 more minutes, was not far behind Vaughan with a ball-in-play intensity of 116.7 for the game – the fifth most of any player and second most among 80-minute players behind only Cleary.

Cordner's efforts highlighted by the Telstra Tracker were also borne out in the match stats, with the skipper registering the most runs of any player in the match with 21, one more than Blues fullback James Tedesco.

NRL.com Stats also show Cordner's 156 metres were the most of any forward on either side and he also made 31 tackles at a 91% effective rate.