“This is the journey we've been put on.”
Maroons coach Billy Slater and captain Cameron Munster have vowed their side can do it the hard way once again after going down 22-20 in a gripping opening game of the series.
In control early after they raced out to an 18-0 lead, New South Wales then worked their way into the game, stealing it at the death when James Tedesco beat Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to latch onto a Nathan Cleary kick and score the match-winner.
The whole complexion of the match changed however when Maroons fullback Ponga was sent off by referee Ashley Klein in the 58th minute for a shoulder charge on Toula Koula, with the Blues winger failing his HIA.
Slater refused to be drawn into the controversy surrounding the decision to send Ponga off, dead batting questions on if it was more of a sinbinnable offence, instead focusing on the fighting spirit of his side.
“It is what it is,” Slater said when asked about the incident post-game.
“We can argue all we want (about a sin bin or a send off), but it is what it is … I haven't got any problems with it.
“He's [Ponga] okay, obviously, feels he's let his team down, but those things happen in games, they happen really quick.
“I've played that position. I know how hard it is and spur of the moment.
“It's wet out there, things happen.
“I thought it was a courageous effort from our players.
“I'm heartbroken for them; the effort that they put in, they played with so much heart in that last 23 minutes and New South Wales did a great job.
“They had to chase the points down and they got them right at the death, but I'm super proud of our footy team.
“It was a tough night and a tough feeling, but I thought they played with plenty of spirit.”
From the field: Cameron Munster
His captain Munster said his side hadn’t “lost yet” with two games yet to go in the series.
“(The game) went down to the wire with a minute-thirty left and Tedesco ended up doing something freaky,” Munster said.
“So could have been a knock-on, we could have grinded our game out and got the win, (but) unfortunately that wasn't our game tonight.
“But like we've spoken about, we're beaten tonight, but we haven't lost yet.”
Slater vowed to take the positives from the match, saying he felt Queenslanders would be proud of their team.
“(The positives are) the heart and spirit that they fought with. (To play) 23 minutes in a State of Origin game with 12 men, they fought hard and you could see that,” Slater said.
“They were just holding on in stages and like Cam said, one moment at the end of the game, it could be a different story, but it's not.
“This is the journey we've been put on, these are the cards we've been dealt and we'll be playing that hand, so, yes, I'm really proud.
“I'm sure all Queenslanders are proud of their footy team right now.
“We went down on the scoreboard, but I think Queensland will be proud of their side.”
Thomas Flegler Try
Both were going to take inspiration from what the side were able to achieve last year, defying an opening game loss to come back and win the series.
“Well, it's possible, it's happened in the last two years, hasn't it, from both sides,” Slater said.
“But at the end of the day, this is a new year and we've got to take some positives out of what we did tonight, and there was a lot.
“We’ll go back and review that.
“The biggest thing is picking ourselves up off the canvas and the feeling that we have at the moment, it's natural to feel heartbroken and disappointed.
“But we won't be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
“This is the journey we've been put on.
“It's going to hurt, all of Queensland will hurt, but this is the journey we've been put on and we'll pick ourselves up off the canvas.”
Munster was up for the challenge ahead, despite Queensland's poor 1-5 record at the MCG.
“We have the opportunity like we did in Perth last year," Munster said.
“We've been pumped a fair few times in Perth and never had a great record, so we spoke about this last time after Game One.
“I think we're a lot more developed in our game than we were last year in Game One, so we can take some steps forward in that.
"But at the end of the day, we have got to make sure we're not throwing the toys out of the cot and we've got to knuckle down and and bite on the mouth guard next game in Melbourne, because they're going to get better and we need to get better.
“That first game is always blowing the cobwebs out, so they're going to improve their game and we need to do that if we want to be making it one-all and going to the to the decider in Brissie.”
Game Two will be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 17.
Match: Blues v Maroons
Game 2 -
home Team
Blues
away Team
Maroons
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
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