Player ratings for the Queensland Maroons team in their State of Origin I clash with the NSW Blues at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
5. Valentine Holmes: Couldn't conjure many moments of brilliance on his home deck but tried hard to lift the team in his second Origin match as a fullback. 5/10
2. Xavier Coates: Caught out several times in defence as he rushed infield with the opposing left edge running riot. A few solid carries in the second half but spilled a bomb that led to Latrell Mitchell crossing for the Blues. 3.5
3. Kurt Capewell: Burned on the outside by Tom Trbojevic for NSW's first try but pulled one back later in the first half with a slick move to beat his direct opponent. Made a handling error that led to the Blues scoring and fell for a Nathan Cleary dummy to cause another. 4
Capewell gets one back on Trbojevic
4. Dane Gagai: Usually dominates at Origin level but was given a bath by Rabbitohs teammate Mitchell. Seemed to be a lack of trust or communication between him and Coates. Maybe Gagai's disrupted preparation with tonsillitis knocked him about. 3.5
18. Kyle Feldt: Chalk it up to a rush of blood on debut; Feldt was made to regret bumping Josh Addo-Carr off the ball and giving away a needless penalty as it sparked a first-half Blues avalanche. Faces a possible suspension after a late shot on Cameron Murray. 4
6. Cameron Munster: Last year's man of the series couldn't stamp his authority as Queensland were mostly stuck on the back foot. Hadn't played in a month because of a foot injury so you'd expect him to be more dangerous come Game Two. 5
Maroons v Blues
7. Daly Cherry-Evans: Nowhere near his best but in fairness he was playing behind a well-beaten forward pack. His leadership will be tested after such a devastating loss. 4.5
8. Christian Welch: Came out firing with some strong tackles, so it was a crushing blow for the Maroons when the front-rower was concussed after just 13 minutes. 3
9. Harry Grant: Threatened early with scything dummy-half runs but then found it tough to create chances with his forward pack being rolled. Got through 40 tackles but also missed eight. 5.5
10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui: Commendable effort to play 40 minutes without a break after Welch was ruled out of the action. Missed a crucial tackle on Damien Cook in the lead-up to a Blues four-pointer. 5.5
11. Felise Kaufusi: May have wished he didn't beat a tripping charge at the judiciary so he could play this match. Made the second-most tackles (38) of any Queenslander but his edge struggled and he made some costly errors. 4
12. David Fifita: Proved a handful in the opening exchanges and received plenty of ball. Copped a head knock and his influence waned when NSW got on top. 5
13. Jai Arrow: Bad miss on Cook that allowed his South Sydney teammate to scamper upfield and lay the groundwork for NSW's second try. Not at his usual standard. 3.5
Interchange
14. AJ Brimson: Was on a hiding to nothing being injected when NSW were well and truly on top. Tough to showcase his speed and skill without any momentum. 2
15. Jaydn Su'A: Only 42 metres from six runs. Strong player at his best but perhaps was lacking confidence after being recently dropped at club level. 3
16. Moeaki Fotuaika: Staked his claim for a starting spot as the only Maroons middle to record 120 metres. Routinely dented the NSW defence but will face a nervous wait after being put on report for clocking Mitchell high. 7.5
17. Joe Ofahengaue: Questionable selection on the back of middling form for the Tigers and may have a fight on his hands to retain his spot. 3
The views in this article do not necessarily express the opinions of the NRL, ARLC, NRL clubs or state associations.
Origin II in Brisbane is sold out but tickets are still on sale for game three at Stadium Australia in Sydney on July 14 - get your tickets NRL.com/tickets.
