EXCLUSIVE: The ‘Real Trend’ That Nearly Derailed the Maroons as Billy Slater Looks Back on Epic Comeback

Queensland coach Billy Slater has emphasised the need for his team to “curb” the emerging trend of comebacks in the NRL, following his analysis of the adjustments made between the first and second games.

After the defeat in Origin I, the Maroons leader clarified that the result was not due to the personnel decisions, yet he made a significant move by dropping captain Daly Cherry-Evans. Beau Fermor was also replaced by Kurt Capewell.

When questioned about the changes to his lineup ahead of Origin II, Slater focused less on the individual players and more on their on-field performance.

“We did make changes. We definitely improved our discipline, particularly in the first half; at the beginning of the game our adherence to the rules was far better, which meant we didn’t place as much pressure on ourselves in game two as we did in game one,” he shared on Nine’s The Billy Slater Podcast.

“In the first game, we conceded three penalties in the opening ten minutes, which made it incredibly tough to play catch-up. I thought we managed that aspect of the game much better this time around.”

While the Maroons were undoubtedly the superior team during the first half of game two, the momentum shifted significantly in the second half.

Trailing by 20 points at half-time, the Blues rallied a comeback, narrowly missing victory by just two points.

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Slater acknowledged it was a different form of discipline that affected his team adversely.

“I thought our discipline in game two regarding our gameplay wasn’t up to the standard we expected. Fifteen errors put a significant amount of pressure on us as we began to build momentum against the opposition, which is an area we can improve,” he mentioned.

“It was a particularly slippery night, and I understand the conditions; both teams had to contend with it, but we were a touch worse than the opponents in terms of discipline.”

The Blues’ resurgence mirrored the trends seen in Round 16 of the NRL.

In the opening match, the Raiders held a 16-0 lead at half-time, only for the Tigers to launch a comeback that narrowly fell short.

Cronulla also found themselves ahead 22-6 against the Broncos, yet squandered their lead, resulting in a 34-28 loss.

Slater is of the opinion that it is still possible to halt momentum in today’s game, though he has made it clear that the players need to remain disciplined.

“It’s becoming a noticeable trend in the sport, isn’t it? Whenever a team gets a lead, the opposition seems to find a way back,” he stated.

“I believe it’s entirely possible to maintain leads; it depends on our performance. In the second half, we certainly put ourselves under significant pressure by losing possession and giving the opposition chances on our side of the field.

“We had to fend off 48 tackles within our own 20, which is remarkable, especially when we only had 27 opportunities ourselves. That’s nearly twice the chances we allowed the opposition to attack our try line.”

“When giving a team like NSW that many opportunities, they will inevitably score points; we must work on reducing that number, as the game is never secure at the moment.”