League: Berrigan central to Maroons' destiny

Like a silent assassin lurking in the shadows, Shaun Berrigan is ready to execute a fatal blow in State of Origin III.

The Broncos centre has been deadly in the NRL this season, with a strike rate of 17 tries from 14 games, but he wants to hit when it matters most - on Wednesday night at Suncorp Stadium.

The series has been a true battle so far with the Queensland forward pack, led by Warriors captain Steven Price and Brad Thorn, dominating Origin I with brutal hits.

Substitute Matt Bowen sealed the win with a golden point intercept try. That pass, thrown by Brett Kimmorley, changed the series.

In Origin II, Kimmorley was dropped for Andrew Johns, who orchestrated all of the NSW Blues' five tries to maintain their unbeaten record at Telstra Stadium and keep the series alive.

In all of the drama, Berrigan, who is typically the showstopper, has been unusually quiet.

"I know," Berrigan said honestly of his lack of impact or tries so far in free-flowing games. "There haven't been too many opportunities. Our forwards have been dominant and the name of the game is ball control so I am happy to be part of the team.

"It'd be awesome to score a try again in Origin. But you don't worry about those things - you just go out there to win the game."

Like any good hit man, Berrigan's reputation precedes him and the feeling in both camps isn't if he is going to strike, it's when.

Berrigan had scored in his past eight NRL games until the Warriors held him out in last weekend's historic 30-18 win. He is well on the way to challenging the Broncos' record for tries in a season, currently held by team-mate Darren Smith and the great Steve Renouf at 23.

To most people, Berrigan is an unusual try-scorer. As a centre, he is small - only 1.77cm and 87kg - and has no flashy steps, blistering speed or other tricks. He is, however, probably the strongest player, pound for pound, in the Broncos (he squat presses 195kg) and routinely heads up all their fitness statistics, including the 40m sprint.

But it is intangibles that really give Berrigan his dangerous attacking skills - the innate, uncoachable ability to run into a gap at the right time for a pass.

As befits a quietly-spoken character who enjoys living at home in a Brisbane suburb with his parents, brother Barry - the Broncos hooker - and Barry's fiancee, Berrigan is not particularly comfortable in the limelight. It is this "down home" quality which recently saw him fend off the advances of Sydney clubs.

He similarly shrugs off mention of records and says it's easy to look good with Darren Lockyer and Brett Seymour firing out passes.

Berrigan began his Origin career as a halfback, in the wake of Alan Langer's fairytale comeback into Origin to play a leading hand in the series win out of retirement in 2002.

"People talk about the masterstroke of Wayne Bennett taking Darren [Lockyer] from fullback to make him the best standoff in the world. Well, moving Shaun from halfback into the centres is of similar vision," said Broncos media manager Tony Durkin.

When the brains trust of Broncos and Queensland football were deciding where to play their gifted youngster, he was lined up to play at hooker but Berrigan declined because that was his brother Barry's position at the Broncos.

In his eight caps of Origin football, Berrigan has played in one decider, in 2002, when Dane Carlaw scored a late winning try for Queensland.

If the injury-plagued Maroons are going to repeat that success, one of their hit men needs to deliver. Berrigan knows it.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY