Queensland Maroons Hancurkan New South Wales Blues di State of Origin

Tim rugby league Queensland Maroons berhasil menyamakan kedudukan seri State of Origin 2026 menjadi satu sama setelah menumbangkan New South Wales Blues dengan skor 44-24 di Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) pada Rabu, 17 Juni 2026.

Kemenangan telak tersebut dipastikan lewat gelombang serangan luar biasa pada babak kedua yang menghasilkan enam try bagi Maroons di hadapan rekor penonton State of Origin sebanyak 91.761 orang.

New South Wales Blues sebenarnya sempat memimpin 12-8 pada babak pertama melalui aksi Kotoni Staggs dan pemain debutan Mark Nawaqanitawase, sebelum akhirnya Queensland bangkit mencetak 36 poin di babak kedua.

Hasil ini sekaligus menjadi babak dengan perolehan poin paling produktif dalam sejarah kompetisi Origin, yang kemudian mengantarkan laga penentu ke Suncorp di Brisbane.

Pemain sayap Queensland, Selwyn Cobbo, tampil gemilang dengan mencetak hat-trick, sementara bek kanan Sam Walker terpilih sebagai man of the match setelah berhasil mengeksekusi delapan konversi gol secara sempurna.

Kapten Queensland, Cameron Munster, memimpin kebangkitan timnya dengan menyumbang dua assist try serta mencatat jarak tendangan hampir 200 meter sepanjang pertandingan.

"I think Origins are all different. I think there were some good things out of the first half that we did. We just weren't consistent enough with what we did throughout the 80 minutes.

Queensland stuck to what they do well. Once momentum happens in this game, things turn pretty quickly. So while we're disappointed, you don't lose trust or faith in guys.

You know what you're capable of doing. You've just gotta be able to do it." kata Laurie Daley, Pelatih New South Wales Blues.

Kekalahan ini memberikan tekanan besar bagi sang pelatih setelah beberapa keputusan pemilihan pemain dinilai gagal dan keputusannya menolak rotasi bangku cadangan di awal babak kedua membuat Queensland leluasa membangun momentum.

"Highly competitive in the first half. Second half, we missed the mark on all of things. Disappointing, very disappointing.

I think there was a lot of errors and they just sort of compounded. Queensland were very good as we always know they will be. We're going to have a real hard look at ourselves and come up with the answers, which I'm sure we will." ujar Laurie Daley, Pelatih New South Wales Blues.

Meskipun tertinggal di paruh pertama akibat dominasi fisik dari lawan, kapten Queensland menegaskan bahwa timnya tidak pernah merasa keluar dari persaingan.

"We always knew we had it in us, we've got so much belief in our group. How good's rugby league?" kata Cameron Munster, Kapten Queensland Maroons.

Munster merasa permainan timnya sudah lebih baik sejak awal laga, namun mereka kurang beruntung dengan beberapa keputusan di lapangan.

"I felt like we were the better team in that first half and we just didn't get the rub of the green." ujar Cameron Munster, Kapten Queensland Maroons.

Ia juga memberikan pujian tinggi kepada rekan-rekan setimnya yang tampil luar biasa dan memudahkan tugasnya di posisi pengatur serangan.

"We've got some freaky players in our team and we've got some good outside backs. Makes me and Sammy [Walker] look good." kata Cameron Munster, Kapten Queensland Maroons.

Lebih lanjut, kapten Maroons tersebut memuji masa depan cerah yang dimiliki timnya berkat kehadiran talenta muda di posisi krusial.

"He's outstanding, Sammy, and he's got a bright future ahead of him in a maroon jersey. And Tommy Dearden's still to come back, so I might be missing out soon." ujar Cameron Munster, Kapten Queensland Maroons.

Maroons bangkit melalui kombinasi taktik yang rapi dan penyelesaian akhir yang tajam dari lini belakang mereka.

"I might have to hang them up soon with the way he (Walker) is playing, and Tommy Dearden. Queensland's in good hands." kata Cameron Munster, Kapten Queensland Maroons.

Munster menambahkan bahwa kunci keberhasilan timnya malam itu terletak pada kesederhanaan pola pikir dan rencana permainan yang diterapkan.

"They probably started better than us tonight, but I just like the way we dug deep and played our best footy at the back end of the game," kata Cameron Munster, Kapten Queensland Maroons.

Kemenangan ini dirayakan penuh emosi oleh seluruh skuad Queensland setelah melewati tekanan berat pasca kekalahan di laga pertama.

"The simpler the game plan, the simpler the mindset. We did that tonight." ujar Cameron Munster, Kapten Queensland Maroons.

Ia menutup pernyatannya dengan ungkapan kebanggaan atas perjuangan keras seluruh anggota tim.

"I'm really proud of the boys, and how good is rugby league?" kata Cameron Munster, Kapten Queensland Maroons.

Di kubu lawan, fullback New South Wales merasa timnya langsung berada dalam posisi tertekan sejak peluit babak kedua dibunyikan.

"Just on the back foot at the start of that second half, we weren't good enough. They came out with a lot, gave us everything they had. Disappointing, but we know we've got an opportunity up at [Lang Park] for a decider." kata James Tedesco, Fullback New South Wales Blues.

Sementara itu, Kalyn Ponga yang kembali tampil apik setelah sempat digantikan pada gim pertama menilai laga ini mencerminkan karakter asli dari timnya.

"I think there was some good pictures of Queensland spirit tonight. A couple of moments, when our backs are against the wall. We had to dig deep, and we did. I thought that first half was full of those pictures, and then hard work, we sort of earned some enjoyable pictures in the second half." ujar Kalyn Ponga, Pemain Queensland Maroons.

Pertandingan ketiga sekaligus penentu juara seri State of Origin 2026 dijadwalkan berlangsung di Lang Park, Brisbane, dalam waktu tiga minggu ke depan.