The Tigers star must be in the frame after NSW coach Laurie Daley alluded to changes for Game 3.
Calls are growing louder for Blues coach Laurie Daley to call up Terrell May for the Origin decider after an underwhelming display from NSW prop Stefano Utoikamanu in the 26-24 loss to the Maroons in Game 2. The NSW interchange forward had limited impact off the bench and was guilty of giving away a costly penalty that denied teammate Nathan Cleary a crucial try before halftime.
Utoikamanu only had four runs for 41 metres in a 24-minute stint off the bench for NSW in Perth. And he failed to inject the sort of energy or go-forward the Blues would have been hoping for to help swing the momentum back in the Blues’ favour after Queensland overcame a six-point deficit to lead by 20 at halftime.
But it was a blunder from the Storm prop just before the break that proved one of the game’s defining moments as Utoikamanu was pinged for obstruction when Cleary looked to have scored the Blues’ second try. Utoikamanu ran a decoy play and raced through the Queensland defensive line but he failed to get out of the way as Cleary stepped back inside and sliced through the Maroons’ defence to score.
Replays showed that Utoikamanu’s presence in the defensive line denied Queensland forward Patrick Carrigan an opportunity to tackle the NSW No.7 and the try was correctly chalked off. “It looked a little too easy,” Maroons legend Cameron Smith said on Nine after the try was disallowed. It capped a forgettable night for Utoikamanu, who many thought was lucky to be picked in the first place, following May’s standout form for the Tigers this season.
Fans call for Terrell May call-up as NSW ponder changes
Souths wrecking ball Keaon Koloamatangi must surely also come into the equation for the Blues in Game 3 if he can overcome a fractured eye socket. But Daley has been urged to bite the bullet and call up the in-form May at the expense of Utoikamanu, after controversially overlooking the Tigers prop for the first two games.
I’m putting out Stefano Utoikamanu, I’m rubbing him out,” veteran commentator Andrew Voss said on SEN radio. “His first run was great, he put Harry Grant on his bottom. (But) I think the stats will show five or six runs for 40 metres when he gave 20 on his first carry.”
Daley remained coy on what changes he could make for the series decider in Sydney on July 9 but admitted after Wednesday night’s 26-24 defeat that “something isn’t right.” The Blues were not helped by ill-discipline, errors and a lopsided 10-2 penalty count against them that landed referee Ashley Klein under fire from fans.
NSW gave away eight penalties to none in the first half alone and completed at just 56 percent in a scrappy first forty minutes at a wet Optus Stadium. They also had their defence pulled apart with 22 missed tackles as the Maroons ran rampant with four unanswered tries to jump out to a game-defining halftime lead.
Poor kicking and ill-discipline prove costly for Blues
Zac Lomax’s three missed conversions proved very costly as the Blues scored five tries to four but still lost the game. And Daley alluded to potential changes for Game 3 as NSW looks to win back-to-back-series in front of their own fans.
I’ve got to take responsibility, because we started well (with the first try), but the first half wasn’t great,” Daley said. “So I’ve got to look at what I’ve done, because something isn’t right.” When pressed on potential changes for Game 3 though, Daley gave little away.
Well, I was confident at half-time,” the Blues coach said. “I know what this group is capable of, and that’s the thing you get disappointed with, because they never gave themselves that opportunity. You can’t play a half of football like that against quality opposition and expect to be close.
So for us, it’s a good lesson. We’ll go back to the drawing board. It’s one-all. That’s what Origin is all about, and it creates theatre and it creates headlines. I’m sure everyone wants a decider, and they’ve got it now.”
