2013 State Of Origin II - Brisbane

He made one good run. Gallen didn't get driven backwards like Fifita did. Neither did Merrin. Neither did Lewis.

 

Gallen, Merrin, Lewis, Farah, they were all better than Fifita. And none of them were particularly superb. Fifita may do some good stuff from second phase but he's been completely lacking in terms of go-forward in the first two games. For a bench prop you should be making more than 5.5m per hit-up.

 

He didn't get much time but he was as predicted. Total pocket rocket. Made nearly 10m with each run. Bent them right back. I like the idea of him middle-third because he's very quick for heavy bloke. And he really put some shots on.

 

Your position of allowing what Merrin and Gallen did is infinitely worse. You'd be crying blue murder if, when Pearce pushed Inglis in one of the tackles, GI had turned around and knocked Pearce out cold simply because he gave him a bit of a shove. That's bullshit.

 

Merrin definitely should have been the only one in the bin.

 

Tate clearly threw a punch in the fiasco. It's ridiculous to bin him though after being punched in the head whilst not expecting it from Merrin. That was a piss poor effort. Had nothing to do with him.

 

I wouldn't have been overly against Hodges going either. Throwing shots at someone who is either not expecting it or is engaged with someone else, is piss weak. That said, I don't think there was much in it from him. The video doesn't clearly show it as Merrin is in the way.

I would simply reiterate, the bloke who throws punches first is the one who creates the problem. Push and shove happened a few times tonight but nobody threw a punch and so we get on with it, no harm no foul. It's the bloke who initiates full on violence that has to be the most harshly punished because when one blokes throws punches that's when everyone else does too. Forget this third man in shit. Penalise the instigator.