2007 Rugby League State of Origin series

Infobox_State_of_Origin_series
year = 2007


count = 12th
imagesize = 100%
caption =
winners = .
margin = 2-1
points = 81
attendance = 181891
top points scorer = (12 points)
top try scorer = (3 tries)

The 2007 State of Origin series was the 28th annual interstate representative rugby league series between New South Wales and Queensland. Queensland won the series by winning the first two games. New South Wales avoided the whitewash by winning the third match held at Suncorp Stadium.__TOC__

Games

Game One

rugbyleaguebox
bg = #eeeeee
date = May 23, 2007
team1 =
team2 =
score = 25–18
report = [http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200705/s1931548.htm (Report)]
points1 = Johnathan Thurston (9 - 4g,1fg) Greg Inglis (8 - 2t) Steve Price (4 - 1t) Darren Lockyer (4 - 1t)
points2 = Jamie Lyon (6 - 3g) Nathan Hindmarsh (4 - 1t) Matt Cooper (4 - 1t) Jarryd Hayne (4 - 1t)
stadium = Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
attendance = 52,498
referee= Paul Simpkins
manofmatch= Johnathan Thurston

Ten thousand tickets to game I at Suncorp Stadium were sold in seven minutes when they went on sale in March 2007 and all were sold within three hours. New South Wales was touted as the superior team and tipped to win the 2007 series Fact|date=June 2007POV-statement|date=December 2007, however Queensland emerged as bookies' favourites on match day, despite the loss of Carl Webb to a hamstring injury.

Queensland trailed 6-18 at half-time after a spectacular kick-and-chase solo effort by Jarryd Hayne resulted in a try just before the break. Queensland recovered after the break with three converted tries including one which followed Darren Lockyer's interception of a wild pass made by Hayne near the New South Wales goal line. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/AAMB5/aamsz=275x15_TEXTLINK/4074399a10713.html] Johnathan Thurston later kicked a field goal to put the final score at 25-18. This win saw Queensland claim three consecutive match victories for the first time since 1995's shock whitewash. Thurston was named man-of-the-match. The Blues' Danny Buderus and Kurt Gidley were injured in the match, while Maroons' substitute Antonio Kaufusi suffered a season-ending knee injury in his Origin debut.

Game Two

rugbyleaguebox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 13 June, 2007
team1 =
team2 =
score = 6 - 10
report = [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200706/s1950671.htm (Report)]
points1 = Brett Stewart (4 - 1t) Jamie Lyon (2 -1g)
points2 = Greg Inglis (4 - 1t) Steve Bell (4 - 1t) Johnathan Thurston (2 - 1g)
stadium = Telstra Stadium, Sydney
attendance = 76,924
referee = Shane Hayne
manofmatch = Cameron Smith

Queensland secured victory in the 2007 series by grinding out a win in game II which ended with a scoreline of 10-6. Brett Stewart, after being called in to make his Origin debut only 24 hours prior to replace injured Anthony Minichello, scored the first and only Blues try just on 8 minutes into the first half with a dive from dummy half onto the try line. Lyon's conversion brought the score to 6 - 0 in favour of New South Wales. The game was played almost entirely in the Blues half from then until the 21st minute when the Maroons equalised. Cameron Smith ran from dummy-half on the fifth and last and through his tacklers shot a remarkable pass out to the feet of Greg Inglis. Inglis picked up the ball and crossed out wide (for the fifth time in only three Origin matches) to touch down after improving the field position for his kicker Johnathan Thurston, whose conversion was also successful. Queensland continued to threaten the New South Wales line throughout the remainder of the first half but didn't convert any of their opportunities into points, leaving the scores locked up at 6 - 6 for the break.

The first penalty of the match was given after 10 minutes of the second half. 13 minutes later, when attacking the Blues' line, Queensland got their second try of the match. After a pass that appeared to be forward was allowed by the referee, the ball went to Thurston who chipped a grubbing kick through the New South Wales defence for Steven Bell to pick up and dive over the try-line. The ensuing sideline conversion was missed by Thurston, leaving the score at 10 - 6 in favour of the Maroons. With under three minutes remaining Brent Kite lost the ball in a tackle and Shaun Berrigan picked it up and ran 45 metres and put it down. However the try was disallowed by the video referee, ruling that Berrigan had also knocked the ball on initially at the pick-up. The Queenslanders managed to hold out New South Wales to leave the game at 10-6.

Of the match, Queensland captain Lockyer had this to say: "In games I've been involved with, that's the gutsiest I've been in." [http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200706/s1950850.htm] It was the first win for Queensland at Telstra Stadium following an 11-game losing streak at the venue, and the first time the Maroons had won four consecutive Origin matches since their 8-game winning streak which lasted from game 2, 1987 to game 3, 1989.

Game Three

rugbyleaguebox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 4 July, 2007
team1 =
team2 =
score = 4 - 18
report = [http://www.nrl.com/RepGames/StateofOrigin/NewsArticle/tabid/285/matchid/650/Default.aspx (Report)]
points1 = Justin Hodges (4 - 1t)
points2 = Hazem El Masri (10 - 1t,3g) Jarryd Hayne (4 - 1t) Matt King (4 - 1t)
stadium = Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
attendance = 52,469
referee= Paul Simpkins
manofmatch= Greg Bird

In the first minute of game III, Dallas Johnson was knocked out cold when attempting a tackle and was assisted from the field. Greg Inglis injured his knee in the 20th minute, and Brent Tate left the field in the 33rd minute, also with a serious knee injury. New South Wales scored the first try in the 21st minute through Jarryd Hayne beating opposition players down the left corner. Queensland responded in the 26th minute with a try scored out wide by Justin Hodges. Thurston failed to convert leaving the score at 6-4 till half time. Queensland were without 3 reserves until Johnson returned early in the second half and played the rest of the game with only two reserves. This forced Queensland forwards such as Steve Price to play the full 80 minutes. Queensland held off New South Wales' attacks for most of the second half. Matt Cooper was denied tries twice in the first 10 minutes, once by a last ditch try-saving tackle by Bell on the try line. It was not till the 73rd minute that New South Wales' Matt King, in his farewell Origin performance having announced his intention to relocate the English Super League in 2008, scored a try which was set up by a flat pass from eventual man-of-the-match Greg Bird. Hazem El Masri, in his debut performance for the Blues after an 11-year top-grade career, converted from the sideline, giving New South Wales an important 8-point lead. In the 79th minute, Paul Gallen was able to offload to El Masri on the tryline and the result was sealed. [http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,22018268-23210,00.html]

Players

New South Wales

*Bulldogs Hazem El Masri was a late replacement for Jamie Lyon, who suffered a hamstring injury in Manly's loss to the Bulldogs in the round before game III.
*Manly's Brett Stewart took the place of Anthony Minichiello who succumbed to a back injury.

Additional players named in the preliminary squad only:
*Ben Creagh
*Robbie Farah
*Brett Finch
*Mark Gasnier (injured)
*Craig Gower
*Eric Grothe, Jr.
*Brett Hodgson
*Ben Hornby
*Luke Lewis
*Reni Maitua
*Luke O'Donnell (injured)
*Matt Orford
*Jason Ryles
*Timana Tahu
*Trent Waterhouse
*Craig Wing
*Dean Young

Queensland

*Carl Webb (second row) was selected to play in game I but ruled out due to injury. He was replaced by Antonio Kaufusi, on the bench, with Nate Myles going to the second row. Webb was selected for game II following the injury of Kaufusi during game I.
*Jacob Lillyman was chosen for the interchange bench in game III, but ruled out due to injury. He was replaced by Matt Bowen.
*Neville Costigan was also selected for game III, on the interchange bench, but injured his hand on match eve. He was replaced by Dane Carlaw.

ee also

*National Rugby League season 2007