Blues legend Andrew Johns’ four words speak for all of NSW

Arguably the most surprising thing about the Maroons’ 26-18 win in game one of the 2023 series is that it was surprising at all as Queensland have done it so many times before.

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With their backs against the wall down 18-16 with 11 minutes remaining, Tom Gilbert out with a dislocated shoulder, wingers Selwyn Cobbo and Murray Taulagi’s nights’ over with head injury assessments in the final 15 minutes and Tom Flegler in the sin bin, the stage was set for the most Queensland of endings.

Despite everything against them, Queensland once again found a way.

Shifting to the left, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scored a blistering try, outpacing Josh Addo-Carr on the outside, before forcing James Tedesco to lose his footing and scoring under the posts to give his side the lead with just over five minutes remaining.

It put the pressure on the Blues with a short kick-off seeing Stephen Crichton knock on while trying to bat the ball back.

It left an exasperated Andrew Johns to mutter in the back of the commentary box: “I can’t believe it”.

Johns, who delivered a famously impassioned swipe at his Queensland colleagues after last years’ decider, was once again floored as the Blues let another winnable result quite literally slip through their fingers.

But at this stage, Blues fans should be used to it.

The Blues have often been favourites in recent years for the two-horse race but have won just four of the past 17 series and are now facing yet another series going down the drain if they can’t bounce back at Suncorp Stadium on June 21.

Blues coach Brad Fittler told the media after the loss the match got away from NSW in the last 11 minutes when the Maroons regained possession off a short drop out.

“When we got to the front I was pretty excited, the fact that (we had a) bad start and they just kept going,” Fittler said.

“Although things didn’t look that smooth and we got to the front, got a restart and then from there it just went downhill. I thought the last 10 minutes we didn’t handle very well at all, especially when they were down to 12.

“I’ll go back and look at how that all happened but I thought we were in control, got to the front, got a restart and then from there it sort of went backwards. But that’s the way it is.”

While the football world didn’t get a repeat of Johns’ “bulls**t” rant after last years’ decider, the rugby league Immortal gave an honest assessment of the Blues’ game one performance.

“The attack was terrible, they had so much momentum, they had so much possession,” Johns said post-match on Channel 9.

“There was one really good try to Liam Martin when the halves got together, then Api Koroisau scores a dubious try and then Stephen Crichton scores off a kick.

“With all that field position and momentum and possession, you’ve got to score.

“Queensland’s scramble was sensational and they were courageous and defensively they held up a couple in the first half.

“But you’ve just got to be better. It was really poor, I thought NSW were really poor. Really poor.”

Johns said there weren’t too many other options for NSW and the side would be similar for the next match at Suncorp Stadium.

“This is the 17 that failed tonight, they’ve got to go up to Queensland and win back the series, that’s the thing,” he said.

“You can kick stones and say it’s going to be nearly impossible but you’ve got to embrace the challenge. You’re going up to Suncorp, give it everything you’ve got because they’re going to be up there hanging off the rafters, screaming. That’s why you play footy.”

And if the Blues can pull off the win, maybe it will give Blues fans another reason to hope — which will make it all the more heartbreaking when the Maroons ultimately win another unwinnable match.