It was an outstanding showing for both Jake Friend and Lindsay Collins in their first match for the Queensland Maroons, and an exciting game one State Of Origin victory was the reward.
Both players left their mark on the game in different ways, but with a heavy impact nonetheless.
Friend played his maiden Origin match in similar fashion to how he plays for his Club, with plenty of grit and never shying away from the tough or hard work.
Highlights | State Of Origin I
His performance was a strong showcase of how he goes about his work as a veteran player in the NRL, but also a snippet of what's to come for the Maroons for the next two Origin matches.
Maroons coach Wayne Bennett was quick to heap praise on Friend during his post match press conference last night.
“I couldn’t believe he hadn’t played for Queensland before," Bennett said when asked of Friend's performance.
"I knew that he was one guy that wasn’t going to let us down, it’s not in his DNA.
"I've seen him play for the Roosters too many times. He was outstanding.”
Lindsay Collins on the other hand made his impact from the interchange bench, and what an impact it was.
In his 32 minute spell, he managed 120 running metres and 27 tackles to continue on his impressive form in 2020.
The NRL.COM player ratings gave Collins a 7.5 for his performance and acknowledged the momentum swing that happened when he entered the game.
With two games remaining in the series and plenty to like about game one, there's sure to be plenty of investment in these two Roosters going forward for the Maroons.
Brad Fittler and Wayne Bennett will name their respective squads for game two at 4pm on Thursday.
Origin II will be played on Wednesday night, the 11th of November at ANZ Stadium.
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