Sport

Kaufusi rates Storm v Roosters clash after poor Queensland effort

26 June 2019

State of Origin Storm v Roosters round 15 — Many Queenlanders, including Antonio Kaufusi, were left scratching their heads after a woeful game two State of Origin performance by the maroons. Source: State of Origin Facebook

Antonio Kaufusi recaps Queensland's woeful game two State of Origin performance and anticipates the “mouth-watering” Storm v Roosters clash which is his match of the round.

Off to Sydney we go!

A new and improved Blues side exposed a lackluster Queensland side on Sunday night, with Freddy Fittler’s men running riot over the maroons who simply lacked the desire and drive needed to win on the biggest stage.

With the chance to wrap up the series 2-0, it was a night that went from bad to worse for Kevin Walters' men, who now face the daunting challenge of winning a decider in Sydney if they are to regain the series.

After dominating through the forwards in game one, it was a different story this time around, with only Felise Kaufusi running for over 100 metres in the match for the Queenslanders.

With no go-forward, the likes of Ponga and Munster struggled to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and instead, were guilty of overplaying their hand at times throughout the contest.

The side will be desperate to turn it around in game three and they simply must play with the belief and passion that served them so well in game one.

It is simply now or never.

Storm v Roosters match of round 15

After a week away, NRL action is back in full swing this week with the Rabbitohs taking on a desperate Wests Tigers side this Thursday.

With players backing up from Origin this week, we may see a late flurry of team changes should clubs decide to rest some of their battered and bruised Origin stars.

The likes of the Broncos, Cowboys and Dragons will be desperate for a win as they look to keep in touch with the top eight after a string of recent losses has threatened to derail their 2019 campaign.

My match of the round will have to be the mouth-watering clash between the ladder-leading Storm taking on last year’s premiers the Sydney Roosters at Adelaide Oval on Friday at 7:55 pm.

With both sides having a string of players returning from Origin duty, the Roosters will be desperate to keep in touch with the Storm who currently sit four points clear at the Telstra Premiership ladder.

We’ve seen some absolute crackers over the years between these two sides and I wouldn’t expect anything different this time around.

My key match-ups for the round would have to be Felise Kaufusi v Boyd Cordner, as Kaufusi will look to get one over his Origin rival, in what will be his 100^th game in first grade.

Oh no the little bro is closing in on my 151 NRL games – but if you count my 77 Super League games over in the UK, I still have some breathing space!

Another exciting match-up will be between Will Chambers v Latrell Mitchell, as the dumped Origin star will be looking to get revenge against Chambers, who dominated in game one of the series.

My upset of the round will be the Tigers against a struggling Rabbitohs outfit, with Benji Marshall to continue on his strong form after guiding New Zealand to an easy victory last weekend in what was his first Test since 2012.

With the Burgess boys still a week away, the Rabbitohs appear to be in a vulnerable spot at the moment.