Patty Mills and Josh Green.Credit: Getty
Green, the only Sydney-born player in the NBA and averaging 19 minutes in the finals, was flying the flag for NSW.
Tragic fellow Brisbane Broncos NBA star Patty Mills, who finished the season with the Miami Heat, is a Maroons fan and also attended alongside a number of Boomers and Opals hopefuls.
Recently traded Josh Giddey, who will join the Chicago Bulls from Oklahoma City next season, was not at the game and has yet to arrive in camp. He is expected to play a pivotal role in Australia's Olympic Games campaign in France next month.
Green with Luka Doncic during the play-offs.Credit: AP
The Boomers and Opals will play games against China in Melbourne next week before the squads for Paris are finalised.
Suaalii entered
Joseph Suaalii is the only NSW player from the opening match not in the Origin II line-up to accept Michael Maguire's invitation to attend the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but NRL rules will prohibit him from sitting out with his colleagues on the sidelines.
NRL rules prohibit suspended players from entering the field of play before, during and after the match. Instead, Suaalii will watch the game from inside Maguire's coaching staff.
The Roosters centre, who is currently serving a four-game ban for the high kick on Reece Walsh in Origin I, flew to Melbourne on Wednesday evening after finishing a Roosters training session.
Joseph Suaalii was sent off for that high kick on Reece Walsh.Credit: Getty
Roosters skipper James Tedesco decided not to travel to Melbourne straight after training. Unlike Suaalii, who will not play for the Roosters this weekend, Tedesco has a game against the Wests Tigers to prepare for.
It's the same reason why Nicho Hynes didn't travel to Melbourne to watch the game. The Sharks have the captain's race early on Thursday morning and Hynes did not want an interrupted preparation for their Friday night game against the Bulldogs.
His Sharks teammate Cameron McInnes, who was the Blues' 19th man, is booked on one of the first flights to Melbourne on Thursday morning to ensure he makes the Cronulla training session.
Hopgood in a bad way
Injured Maroons forward J'maine Hopgood's season is likely over after he revealed on Wednesday night that surgery would likely end his 2024 campaign. He suffered the back injury in the first match of the series.
J'maine Hopgood's season could be over.Credit: Image AAP
“I'll catch up with the surgeon tomorrow and assess all our options,” Hopgood told Triple M.
“Potentially, if I have to have surgery, it's 12 weeks. It would do me great for the season. The longer you give it, the less time the surgery works. We'll see what the surgeon says tomorrow.”
Nathan Cleary out for the third game
Regardless of the outcome of game two, don't expect Nathan Cleary to feature in the final game of the series in Brisbane.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said his son is not expected to return to the field from a hamstring injury until round 20. He has played no part in the series.
Someone's glass jaw
Which State of Origin team called for space between NSW coach Michael Maguire and Queensland coach Billy Slater at Tuesday's press conference at Federation Square?
We're told the NRL granted the request, placing the State of Origin crest between the two coaches after Maguire's “glass house” sled on the opening day of Blues camp on last week.
AFL code breakers
The reason the NRL will never sell an Origin game at the MCG is because of its members, many of whom refuse to turn up to support rugby league in the heart of the AFL. It was a problem the last time they played at the MCG in 2018 and it will be a problem again six years on.
At least some AFL players were keen to watch the country's biggest domestic sporting event. Geelong's Tom Stewart, Hawthorn's Josh Weddle and Dylan Moore, Carlton's Jack Silvagni and Melbourne's Bayley Fritsch and Judd McVee were at the stadium to watch the rival code in action.
Bellamy wakes up the blues
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy was a special guest speaker at a Blues team dinner on Monday night following the shirt unveiling.
The former NSW coach was invited to Italian restaurant Il Duca in East Melbourne, along with former Origin players Ryan Hoffman, Robbie Kearns and also Herald columnist Roy Masters.
Those at the dinner said they were moved by Bellamy's moving words and the aura he carries.
Kiwis watching their pennies
This column reported last month that noise restrictions at Eden Park were threatening the NRL's hopes of playing a State of Origin game in Auckland in 2027.
That remains the case, but now we're hearing that the New Zealand government is balking at the $4 million asking price due to budget constraints on tourism and major events.
Big players
Debutant Connor Watson called for more innings from all NSW players for the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Watson asked the NSWRL management for 26 tickets. Haumole Olakau'atu claimed the next with 20.
Under the rules of the collective agreement, each player receives six tickets for a match in a venue with a capacity of more than 60,000 (Sydney and Melbourne in 2024) and four tickets for venues with a smaller capacity (Brisbane).
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The NSWRL gifted debutants Watson and Dylan Edwards four extra innings, taking their tally to 10.
The cost of the extra tickets is taken out of each player's $30,000 match pay, as well as any other unforeseen expenses during their time in camp.
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