The Greatest Show on Earth, Part 1

State of Origin 1 ended last night with the Cane Toads beating the Cockroaches 28-24.

Here's the key points, in Kiwi Sports Blog's opinion:

• Kicking for territory was amazing, as usual.  Lockyer kicked for a ridiculous 583 metres.  Asked for comment, Lockyer said something which nobody could understand until he had a throatie.
• Kurt Gidley gained a game high 197 metres, followed by Anthony Watmough for 161 metres.  Watmough, easily NSW's best player on the night, weaved through gaps with that stocky, upright running style of his.  He even put up a huge Gary Owens which led to the first try of the match.  Gidley simply wasn't good enough, and has to be replaced by Jarryd Hayne at fullback.
• Here's Sam Thaiday.  He was the best forward for Queensland.

• Thurston's game wasn't contained in the stats, but he was all over the place.  He should be questionable for every game, if this is the result.  The news called it the best halfback performance of all time in Origin, which is a bit much.  Still, he won the game.
• Jamal Idris has to be dropped, and his name struck from the record as ever having been an Origin player. Oh, how I wish he hadn't scored that consolation try.  The right side in the second half was Idris and Hayne, who varied between trying to jam Inglis and hanging too far back for the kick.  He is a fullback, and the best fullback, but he is not a winger.  Kiwi Sports Blog is afraid that because Matt Cooper got himself an injury, Idris will be selected again.
• The Blues have 'pleaded' with selectors to be kept together for game 2.  That article says that Hayne thinks it is "mission impossible" to win at Suncorp - this seems like a bad sign for NSW.  The series might be in the books already.  Some supporters have called for Craig Bellamy's head.  It's only three weeks until the next game - not really enough time for a new coach to do anything.

Even though Kiwi Sports Blog officially supports Queensland, who doesn't want to see a good series?  Origin is becoming as one sided as the Holocaust.  So, as well as Idris' dropping, KSB calls for Gidley to the bench, Hayne to fullback, Waterhouse to the bench, Hindmarsh starting, and Michael Jennings, either in Cooper's centre spot or Hayne's wing spot.

Queensland just needs one change - Micheal Luck instead of Dave Taylor.

Game 2 prediction: Cane Toads by 6+