The 2016 State of Origin series continues on Wednesday with Queensland taking a 1-0 lead into game 2 at Suncorp stadium. Continue reading for our State of Origin Game 2 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Queensland vs New South Wales (Wednesday 8.05pm AEST)
Game 2 will see almost the exactly the same players take the field with both sides losing one player each through injury. The Queenslanders will be without their veteran forward Nate Myles but he is easily replaced in the starting side by Josh McGuire and Jacob Lillyman comes onto the bench and has made 11 appearances for the Maroons. However, the loss is far worse for the Blues as they will be without their player’s player of Game 1 Boyd Cordner and their initial replacement Wade Graham will miss the match after being charged for a high shot on Johnathan Thurston. It is a huge blow for Graham who would have been making his debut for the Blues and he may never get another opportunity. However, the Blues have selected another debutant in Tyson Frizell and he is a solid player to bring into any squad. The St George Illawarra Dragons forward will have to play on the opposite edge, as he is generally a right side back rower. This could cause defensive issues and no doubt the Queenslanders will target the area between Frizell and five-eighth James Maloney.
In the opening game of the series the Blues created the better chances but the Queenslanders defence was up to the challenge and they were able to withstand large periods of pressure. The combination in the spine wasn’t quite up to scratch but it can be forgiven as it was the first time the group was playing together where as Queensland’s spine has been relatively the same for the past five years. Reynolds kicking game was strong but he will need to find the grass on more occasions this time around and not give Darius Boyd the opportunity to take the ball on the field and get Queensland on the front foot. Andrew Fifita had a huge impact off the bench but he wasn’t used until the second half. I expect the unorthodox forward to get more game time as his offloading ability and damaging runs created the best opportunities for the Blues. It is a shame James Tedesco wasn’t selected in the side because if he was coming off the bench at the same time as Fifita he could have been used as a support player to follow the offloading machine around the field. Instead Dylan Walker was chosen again despite coach Laurie Daley only using the Manly utility for the final 8-minutes of the match. It is a strange game plan it will be interesting to see if he is used differently this time around because asking a player who isn’t very creative to enter the Origin arena and win the match for his side in the final minutes in his first and second game is a huge ask and a lot of pressure.
UPDATE: Josh Morris has been forced to withdraw as he succumbs to injury, this has moved Dylan Walker into the starting line up at right centre and he will be taking on the tough challenge of defending Greg Inglis.
The Queensland side’s attack wasn’t as dominant as it usually is but they clearly came into the opening game with a plan of playing it safe if they had a lead. They were kicking the ball into the corners, defending their line and doing what was required of them to get the crucial victory. On the dryer pitch at Suncorp stadium the game should be more free flowing with player’s being able to use their pace and footwork on a ground that isn’t as slippery. This will mean there is more points scored throughout the match and I am predicting the two teams to have a much more entertaining and attacking approach to this match realising that defence won’t get the job done in this game. The two sides will combine to score more than 36 points and go over’s on the point’s line.
TIP: Over 36.5 points scored @ $1.93 with CrownBet
Queensland have the home field advantage in Game 2 and have the opportunity to clinch the series and win their 10th in the last 11 years. It is an incredible record and their history at Suncorp suggests they will be able to accomplish the feat. It will be another close match and it is hard to bet against such a great side and on their home soil. The Queenslander’s have so many match winner’s whilst the Blues could succumb to the pressure in the dying stages of the game.
TIP: Queensland 1-12 @ $2.50 with Ladbrokes
In the first try scorer market we will be predicting the home side to start the match the strongest and open the scoring with a try. In game 1 Greg Inglis and Corey Oates were relatively quiet as Josh Morris was able to do a tremendous job on shutting down Inglis whilst Blake Fergurson came up with a huge tackle on the Queensland centre. However, we are backing Thurston to throw a cut out ball after Morris and Fergurson have jammed in and it will find Oates who will dive over in the corner.
TIP: Corey Oates First Try Scorer @ $8.00 with Sportsbet
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
