Gagai set for Kangaroos after performance of century

Dane Gagai is on the verge of winning his first Australian jersey at the Rugby League World Cup after a stunning State of Origin series for Queensland in which he made more tackle breaks than any player for almost three decades and ran further than any player this year.

Gagai, who won the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series, made a phenomenal 25 tackle breaks – the most since former Maroons and Test fullback Gary Belcher in 1990.

Only 1987 NSW fullback Garry Jack (33), 1988 Queensland forward Sam Backo (31), 1985 Blues winger John Ferguson (27), 1987 NSW centre Michael O’Connor and Belcher (both 26) have made more tackle-breaks in an Origin series.

The only other players to feature in the top 50 tackle breaks in a series this century were injured Maroons superstar Greg Inglis (24 in 2012 and 23 in 2009), Hayne (22 in 2009 and 2014, and 19 in 2007 and 2010), former NSW fullback Anthony Minichiello (21 in 2005) and current Blues No.1 James Tedesco  (19 in 2017).

Gagai, who played on the right wing for the Maroons, also ran the furthest with the ball of any player in the series and his 571 metres was the fourth most by a winger behind Wendell Sailor (715m in 1999), Jarryd Hayne (629m in 2009) and Sailor (579m in 1998).

The 26-year-old Newcastle star, who has signed with South Sydney for next season, is also ranked 15th for the most metres in a series by any player, behind Dale Shearer (726m), Sailor, Jack (677m), Belcher (665m) and Hayne.

Gagai scored two second half tries in Origin II to give Johnathan Thurston the opportunity to send the series to a decider with his 78th minute sideline conversion and then turned in a man-of-the-match performance at Suncorp Stadium last week.

Data obtained from tracking devices worn by the players and made public through the Telstra Tracker revealed that Gagai ran 7.1km during Origin III (fourth furthest) and sprinted for a total of 481m – the most by any player in the match, won 22-6 by the Maroons.

“It’s not just the number and the quality of his runs but the tough carries he makes,” Australian assistant coach Michael Hagan said.

“Origin is all about kick reception pretty much because that is where you get the majority of your footy from so your first three plays have got to be really good so the fact that he can break tackles and make metres is unbelievable. I doubt he would have hardly made an error either.”

Hagan, who was a member of Mal Meninga’s Queensland coaching staff when Gagai made his Origin debut in the final game of the 2015 series, revealed he had modelled that aspect of his game on former Maroons and Test back Brent Tate.

“Brent Tate was nearly Queensland’s best at doing that sort of job on play one and play two,” Hagan said. “He was really aggressive, really strong and got our sets started really well.

“Dane and I actually went through those carries and I reckon he absolutely nailed that in that game and the six games since with that attitude.”

According to the Telstra Tracker, Gagai also recorded an intensity of 98 metres per minute for the match, which was the highest of any Queensland player except interchange forwards Josh Papalii (111.2mpm), Coen Hess (104.7mpm) and Tim Glasby (101.4mpm). 

His top speed during the series was 33kph in Origin II, which was sixth overall, behind Maroons halfback Cooper Cronk’s 34.9kph when he crossed for a disallowed try in the Origin III.

After Gagai was last week named by Meninga and the Australian selectors in a Kangaroos Merit team based on Origin form, Hagan said he was likely to play for the Prime Ministers XIII against Papua New Guinea and in the end of season Tri-Series with the Kumuls and Fiji.

“He is making a pretty good argument for selection in that Kangaroos squad for the World Cup,” Hagan said. “He has got seven games of this year to go [for the Knights] and if he is fit and healthy the PNG game and the Fiji game give guys like him an opportunity to keep playing at a good level.

“I know Mal has got a high regard for him because he bought into the Queensland team for the third game in 2015, as do a lot of team-mates, coaches and his opponents too.

“He is a good character, he works hard, he is very humble and I think they are the type of qualities that Mal looks for in a Test player."

Top 50 tackle breaks in an Origin series: