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Home / Sport / League

State of Origin player ratings

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31 May, 2017 06:01 PM4 mins to read

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Mitchell Pearce of the Blues is congratulated by team mates after scoring a try. Photo / Getty

Mitchell Pearce of the Blues is congratulated by team mates after scoring a try. Photo / Getty

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Player ratings of State of Origin I where New South Wales thrashed Queensland to take a 1-0 lead in thes series.

NEW SOUTH WALES

1. JAMES TEDESCO - Superb performance, breaking the line at will and showing why his pace and footwork are so hard to contain. X-factor in attack and everywhere in defence. Unlucky not to be man of the match. 9.5

2. BRETT MORRIS - Solid game. Looked especially dangerous in the first half and did what was required of him after the break. 7

3. JOSH DUGAN - Made little impact for the most part before saving a try late to illustrate the Blues' ruthlessness. 6

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4. JARRYD HAYNE - Increasingly made his presence felt before joining the party, using his explosive pace to score a try on the big stage he loves so much. 8

5. BLAKE FERGUSON - Struggled to make a major impact before being beaten in the air by Oates going for a high ball which led to a Queensland try. 5.5

6. JAMES MALONEY - Scored the opening try and was an important part of NSW's up-tempo attack. 7

7. MITCHELL PEARCE - The maligned Roosters' star had possibly his best Origin performance before a heavy hit from Will Chambers ended his game after 50 minutes. 8

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8. AARON WOODS - Solid early before a long break. Came back and made his presence felt. 7

9. NATHAN PEATS - Nothing spectacular - and that was the plan. Ran hard to give the halves the chance to run the show and solid in defence. 7

10. ANDREW FIFITA - Outstanding game running all over the Maroons to finish with two tries. Man of match. 9

11. BOYD CORDNER (capt) - As expected, led from the front. Strong carries and important defensive efforts. 8

12. JOSH JACKSON - Quiet without being poor. Played his role. 6.5

13. TYSON FRIZELL - Played his part in defence, laying more than 30 tackles. 7

INTERCHANGE:

14. DAVID KLEMMER - Came off the bench and had a major impact, running for almost 200 metres. A central influence in a famous victory. 8.5

15. WADE GRAHAM - Superb off the bench with one linebreak assist and played his part in two tries. 8

16. JAKE TRBOJEVIC - Impressive debut highlighted by teaming up with Tedesco for a try-saving tackle. 7

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17. JACK BIRD - Switched to the halves after Pearce's injury with immediate effect. His strong run and quick play-the-ball gave Tedesco a platform to cross. 7

QUEENSLAND

1. DARIUS BOYD - A lacklustre performance will surely make the drums beat louder for the return of Billy Slater. 6

2. COREY OATES - Used his height to full advantage to score the Maroons' first try. Answered every question Mitchell Pearce's kicking game asked of him. 7.5

3. WILL CHAMBERS - Contained in attack. Delivered the hit on Mitchell Pearce which ended the NSW halfback's night. 5

4. JUSTIN O'NEILL - Tough night at the office with little influence in attack and a defensive lapse leading to Jarryd Hayne's try. 4

5. DANE GAGAI - Showed spark in the first half but increasingly found it difficult as the Blues began to boss the game. 6.5

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6. ANTHONY MILFORD - Answered any doubts about his ability on the big stage by showcasing his footwork and passing before friendly fire ended his night early in the second half. 7

7. COOPER CRONK - A sublime kick to set up their only try underpinned a typically strong performance. 7.5

8. DYLAN NAPA - Was strong early on debut but copped a knock to the knee in the first half which limited his influence. 6

9. CAMERON SMITH (capt) - Hard to fault as per usual despite the result. 7.5

10. NATE MYLES - Quiet night with the NSW pack the clear winners up front. 5

11. JOSH PAPALII - One of the best-performed Queensland forwards, working hard to gain metres. 7

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12. MATT GILLETT - Had two linebreaks but didn't make major inroads into the Blues' defence. 6.5

13. JOSH McGUIRE - His hard-working defensive efforts filled the brief and he finished with more than 100m. 7

INTERCHANGE:

14. MICHAEL MORGAN - Came off the bench in his usual solid supporting role. 6

15. SAM THAIDAY - Struggled to have a major impact off the bench. 5

16. AIDAN GUERRA - Denied a try by Dugan's desperation but, otherwise, had little sway over the game off the bench. 6

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17. JACOB LILLYMAN - Limited minutes but far from disgraced. 6

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