He's Origin genius: Return of the King
Callum Eggerling is the new Archer of Mendi
Welcome to The Maroon Observer, a weekly newsletter about rugby league, Queensland and rugby league in Queensland.
He’s doing it again
Men’s Origin teamlists are out: Maroons and Blues
The Blues’ lineup has its problems but this looks like par for the course for them. The pack looks imposing, the squad has polish and experience. While there are some questionable interchange choices, these are merely unpalatable and reflective of the coach’s mores but not the end of the world.
The Maroons are in a much more concerning state. After years of questioning Billy Slater’s decision-making and arrogance in his justifications, only for him to win three of the last four series, I have decided to not criticise the selections. You can argue that bad process outs eventually until you’re blue in the face but the results are what they are.
I won’t be criticising the exclusion of Reece Walsh, the incumbent Australian fullback and carrier of the most recent premiership winners through an all-time finals run, for no apparent reason. I won’t be criticising the inclusion of Selwyn Cobbo, who is having a terrible season by his own standards, let alone the rest of the league, and who could not get a run when he was playing well.
Despite all available evidence, Trent Loiero will be fine. No problems there. Rueben Cotter has been mediocre for a while, plays his club footy at lock and won’t have Dearden coaching him home but is nonetheless, selected on an edge. Queensland has both Heilum Luki and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki available and only one of them is in the squad and the latter does not appear to be preferred to the husk of Kurt Capewell. This is good stuff to me, the Billy Slater appreciator.
I will get over the fact that Slater picked a slew of Cowboys when they were bad and barely any now that they are good. None of the defending premiers are starting. The Titans’ Jojo Fifita got a bath from Newcastle’s Fletcher Sharpe and got a cap. There are more Storm players than Munster and Grant. This is all beyond reproach.
There is so little to critique, I keep forgetting Sam Walker, a player I hate and who should, at most, get one Maroons jersey in a dead rubber before never being seen again, is the new halfback.
I won’t comment on his Seiboldian excuses, like I did in 2024:
I will instead defer to my grovelling apologies issued in 2025:
But I can’t get past Lindsay Collins. He stinks.
Slater’s genius is that he arrived in a position where the chalice held by his lone opponent is so toxic, that only Brad Fittler and Laurie Daley were stupid enough to be seen holding it. Cleary’s entirely foreseeable arrival in 2028 should put an end to Slater’s tenure, where selecting the best Blues team, using them in an appropriate way and not giving a halftime speech that seems to give the whole team the ick about the idea of winning, should see the Blues become the dominant state for a while.
Until then, we may as well win a few more.
This insult will not stand (it will stand)
Unbelievably, not a single member of the QRL board reached out to support my application to become CEO. Looks like I’ll be doing the newsletter for a bit longer then.
Around the grounds
I did it. I watched almost all of Magic Round (I missed a few halves here and there). I almost never get to watch the whole round, because of constraints on time and interest, but I indulged this weekend and what a weekend it was! If you wanted to know what National Reserve Grade would look like, this was not far off the mark.
Sharks 38 defeated Bulldogs 16. An early, insurmountable lead, a slew of frustrating errors (25) and then some late tries for the loser to make it slightly more respectable is the Vlandoball formula. The Bulldogs win the fraud-off.
Dolphins 32 defeated Rabbitohs 10. An early, insurmountable lead, a slew of frustrating errors (28) and then some late tries for the loser to make it slightly more respectable is the Vlandoball formula. Really needed this Latrell game in Origin.
Sea Eagles 46 defeated Tigers 18. An early, insurmountable lead, a slew of frustrating errors (25) and then some late tries for the loser to make it slightly more respectable is the Vlandoball formula. Weird that the refs decided to start blowing penalties after this? Can't imagine why when the rules are so good and functional.
Pride 40 defeated Clydesdales 12. When you were at school, there was at least one kid that would get the ball, dick around and showboat with dummies, show and gos, steps, goose-steps and so on, none of which would deceive, go anywhere or impress anyone. I am too old for my peers to have pretended to be Benji Marshall but its something like that. Half a dozen Clydesdales play like this.
Cowboys 18 defeated Roosters 12. Finally, some real football. “The North Queensland Cowboys are winning this on defence,” is an actual sentence said by Dan Ginnane. While it is true, and this was a high value but not entirely unexpected win, it might be the first time anyone has said anything like that about the Cowboys in a decade. Considering the blatant cheating from the referees - throwing Sam Walker around is not a binnable offence and it actually should be rewarded because he keeps throwing forward passes the refs are too cowardly to call - the Cows did well to keep their heads and keep pointed in the right direction. Mikaele looked completely done. Luki made some pleasing defensive plays. Enjoying what Tom Chester is bringing. The ragdoll in a washing machine is good now.
Bears 14 defeated Cutters 13. This was a moral victory for Mackay, as the referees did their best to hand Burleigh the win. A spurious binning of the Cutters’ Sean Mullany at 67’ sapped the Cutters of the last remaining strength, hanging on against a Bears side that didn’t seem to have a lot of ideas. Guy Hamilton took advantage, sped past a spent defence and went over at 74’ and that was game. A disappointing end to an otherwise quality contest of fast running and hard hitting. The Cutters have a lot to recommend them and have shown they can go toe-to-toe with the big dogs.
Storm 34 defeated Eels 8. This didn’t feel like a 20 point win for the Storm but on review, what did the Eels have to offer? Parra have two gears: coin flip shoot-out or being squished out of the game while looking like they’re trying. I guess that’s something. The Storm are working their way back into form. Wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see them rack up wins over the lower half of the ladder but still not clear if they have the talent to take on the top half.
Knights 36 defeated Titans 12. Gold Coast played in a way that befits the jersey that got everyone so excited. The Titans under Hannay have a game plan and by god, they’re sticking to it. It’s good enough that the first third of the game is enough to convince you that there might be something there but then the Titans wilt, and then collapse, and the margin blows out past 20. Unlike what feels like the rest of the NRL, the Titans don’t make a lot of handling errors and some players have their moments, but it doesn’t add up to much.
Magpies 30 defeated Hunters 20. Souths Logan got off the plane, didn’t get out of fourth gear and handled the Hunters in a way a 10 point margin does not reflect. Jason Demetriou was on ABC’s Pacific Beat and mentioned that because of the lack of pathways infrastructure in PNG, it takes new Hunters a year or two to adapt to Cup. Given the London Broncos, of which Demetriou is coach, had a big hand in decimating the Hunters’ roster, that goes a long way to explaining why the Hunters’ lack polish (balls passed too hard, basic handling, can’t recover short kickoffs, etc) and why they’ve gone from a reliable week 2/3 finals team to bottom four. But mostly, Anthony Milford kicked them to death. Liking what Byron Johnson is doing; it’s been a while since we had a fast whiteboy fullback in Cup. Welcome to Hercules Kondo, who joins the Rugby League Hall of Fame for Names, along with other inductees Denver Ford, Memory Paitai and Adaquix-Jeramiah Watts-Luke.
Warriors 42 defeated Broncos 12. That one stung a bit. I didn't expect the Broncos to win but I also didn't expect to get completely reamed by Ash Klein. People like to defend the referees by saying they just follow orders but they have a huge amount of discretion as to how they go about their work. Klein decided to be a complete dipshit. Carrigan got binned for a regulation Panthers tackle. Klein calls a strip for a clearly dropped ball. Khan Pereira is binned instead of sent off. Tuaupiki got a set restart for a leg pull instead of a bin, followed by another set restart on the next tackle, the only two the Broncos got all game. You win some, you lose some and sometimes the referees decide for you out of misplaced crankiness. The only upside is that the Warriors will overvalue this result, setting their fans up for another disappointing September that they'll tell themselves they're in the mix for.
Panthers 28 defeated Dragons 6. In a game that the Panthers treated like I treat Fridays at work, the absolute worst call of the weekend went against Damien Cook and the Dragons. Brian To’o did not have possession. How is it possible that you refereed enough rugby league to get into the Bunker without learning anything about the sport? Imagine taking that away from fans sitting in the rain at the end of Magic Round. Sociopathic. What's worse is you made my sympathise with St George. We’re going to have to unretire Buzz Rothfield to sort you little shits out. Fix it.
Intermission
Callum Eggerling hit the Hunters home crowd with the Judah Rimbu celebration. Great stuff. Also surprising there's a dedicated Souths Logan cheer squad in PNG.
Women’s Origin II
Queensland spotted New South Wales a hundred expected points from errors and were extremely fortunate, partly courtesy of the May Magic Round weather we’ve all come to love, to be in reaching distance of the win.
Jasmine Peters had two match winning opportunities. The first, she didn’t drive hard enough to the line and looked terrified of being tackled and losing the ball and that’s exactly what happened. The second, she didn’t keep her feet out of touch and the lacked the spatial awareness to know she’d blown it again.
It is not fair to blame one player for a result but, to deploy several cliches, the Origin arena is built on getting specific moments right and when the state needed her to execute, she did not. Peters did not have that dawg in her.
Fortunately for Peters, there is plenty of blame to go around to the rest of the team. Lofipo had an off night. The halves were fine but not excellent. Three different hookers were given a go. Too much burden is placed on Upton and she is, at the end of the day, only human. The pack erred and did not dominate.
The bright side is the future. I have never really noticed Rory Owens, in either the NRLW or previous Origins but she really stepped up to the plate. Kiria-Ratu looks like, at worst, a good second fiddle. As Gus noted during the early phases, the Maroons are around 24 years old and the Blues are 28. The Blues’ dominance of women’s footy has at least one, maybe two, more series to run. Then they will be old and we will be young.
What this series shows is how thin the depth is at the super-elite tier, especially for Queensland. Peters’ critical moments reminds me of Emma Paki, who I compared to a deer skating on ice in the wet games of 2024. Paki had no business being out there and Peters might have been the best pick of those available but it shows it is a long drop from Robinson, then to Hippi, to Peters in the winger depth chart (dunno what Emily Bass did to get her card marked). If Queensland is to take advantage of its future, and noting we are missing Aiken, Pelite/Isa’ako and Jorgensen off the top of my head, and Ciesiolka is out of form, then having a better second tier of player to plug gaps when they inevitably occur is going to be crucial.
But here and now, only pain lies ahead. It took 15 years for Queensland to overcome structural disadvantages, adapt to the new interstate rugby league and actually win a series. It probably won’t take that long this time, but it might be a while.
Upcoming slate
They’re call it one of the worst weekends of rugby league TV in history, folks. Just absolute trash.
Hull KR vs Wigan, Super League, Friday 5am AEST, Craven Park
Hull KR, after an abysmal start to the season, have won five on the trot and have looked good doing it. The stats love Rovers. Wigan are Wigan but had some dud games a few weeks back but might be finding form again. Interesting yardstick game. I probably won’t be getting up at 5am to watch it. Tip: Hull KR
Capras vs Dolphins, QCup, Saturday 5pm, Browne Park
This will be my first opportunity to see the new Browne Park in action but from what I’ve seen online, it looks like a huge upgrade. Putting aside the Dolphins Derby, this should be an ideal timeslot for a Rockhampton sunset, provided the weather cooperates. The forecast looks good at time of writing. I am increasingly of the opinion that the Dolphins have some flaws but no team in the league seems capable of exploiting them, a la the Devils in 2024. In lieu, Redcliffe are going to continue to dominate. Tip: Dolphins
Cowboys vs Rabbitohs, NRLM, Sunday 4pm, QCB Stadium
This is our next look at the post-Dearden Cowboys. There’s minimal impact from Origin, with just Cotter going to camp, it’s an opportunity for Clifford to step up again and for Sutton to establish himself as a bona fide first grader. The Rabbitohs aren’t necessarily going to be a sterner test than the gritty win over the Roosters, as Souths are currently on Fraud Watch, but more wins makes the future of 2026 more secure. Tip: Cowboys
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Read this
What You Get Is What You See - Ultra-processed rugby league is a big problem for broadcasters (and the NRL)
Eye Test - BOOTWATCH 2026
Campo - Why Gold Coast’s retro Chargers jersey is already the toast of the NRL’s Magic Round
Nick Tedeschi - Ivan Cleary begins long goodbye with a legacy built to last well after he leaves Panthers
The Sportress - Six again: Magical?
Storm Machine - Game 752 – S29E11 Review
Rugby League Writers - What Is Foz Ball? How The Dolphins Used Their Speed & Croker’s Passing On The Up
Notes
Mike’s piece above is very good but I am struck by the use of the food metaphor. Ccompare also homogenised rugby league. I wonder if we’ll see a cultural rejection of this highly processed, homogenised, factory fast food approach to sport, as we did with food and drink in the 2010s, in the coming decades or are the zoomers too cooked? Given the 10s was led by Instagram and the 20s by Tiktok, perhaps it will hinge on the next evolution of social media. So, no, we’re probably not going to get a mass rejection of footyslop.
Margin watch: 2026 has edged slightly ahead of 2021, 17.52 plays 17.45. The margins of the last two rounds are in the 94th percentile for all rounds since 1988. So far only round 4 and round 7 were in the bottom half.
Queensland secures NRL Magic Round in mammoth deal locking it in until 2032, which includes the wonderful turn of phrase, “…in a golden runway to the Brisbane Olympics in 2032.” What does that mean? English, motherfucker. Do you speak it?
Actual, for realsies, turnstile attendance at Vegas was down 1.5%, from 38,107 to 37,557. Hmmm. I assume factors outside of the NRL’s control will be blamed, to the extent that this is given any airtime whatsoever, which it won’t be! We cannot question the narrative of ever increasing popularity when a broadcast deal is being negotiated.
SANFL kicking goals with growing viewership as AFL draws criticism
Tyson Smoothy is coming home… to Perth. I’ve often said Perth is the Wakefield of Australia. Good for him. Sucks to be Wakefield but then it always sucks to be Wakefield.
We did an entire cycle of this ‘Dolphins roster is terrible and it is definitely going to finish last’ four years ago and looks we’re just doing it again. There is always a bigger fuck up in the league. The irony will be when the Chiefs don’t get that treatment because of Luai, Johnston, Watson and Rudolf and end up last in 2028.
Some content
It was a banner week for News Corp content. In addition to Badel threatening bombshells with a giant head, we got this:
Cool! Thanks for letting me know.
Truly loved reading this week's newsletter. The sarcasm was very thick & I loved all of it.