Two brutal axings needed to dig Maroons out of 'awful trouble'

Queensland have to roll the dice and gamble on a fiery redhead from Canberra to change the trend of State of Origin in game two. New South Wales were only average for much of the 80 minutes but always looked like winning and the Maroons have now lost two straight games at Suncorp Stadium for the first time since 1998 and four of their last five clashes with the Blues. The Maroons need more aggression up front and Canberra's wild child Corey Horsburgh has that in bucketloads. Yes, he can lose his cool on the big stage but the Blues were happy he wasn't picked for game one and will be delighted if the Maroons persist with their 'pick and stick' mentality. The other big call Billy Slater may want to consider is dropping the struggling Kayln Ponga and moving the dangerous Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback. 'The Hammer' is the most elusive ball-runner in the game but was starved of the ball with any time or space on Wednesday night. Ponga has been a shadow of his best this season at club level and many put that down to Newcastle's spluttering attack. But in elite company, Ponga again looked flat and barely troubled the Blues defence. Skipper Daly Cherry-Evans was another big-name Maroon who failed to fire and the oldest man in Origin footy may have played one series too many. The Maroons are in awful trouble having lost game one at home - and only wholesale changes can give them a chance to turn things around.

Big Red Forcing Billy's Hand

Corey Horsburgh is playing as well as any front-rower in the league and is forcing Billy Slater's hand to pick him for Origin I. The red-haired firebrand was considered too hot-headed to play big time footy in the past and has played just one Origin to date despite his undoubted ability. But Ricky Stuart has worked hard on Big Red's discipline - after the pair had a much publicised falling out - and both are on the same page now. Horsburgh was outstanding as the Raiders came back from a 28-10 half time deficit to stun the Dolphins 40-28 on Sunday and his form is a big reason why the Green Machine is top four material.

Reece Walsh cops crushing new blow as Raiders favourite sends emphatic message to Billy Slater

Reece Walsh's grip on his State of Origin jersey appears to be slipping after an underwhelming display in Saturday night's shock thumping by Canberra. And Raiders fan favourite Corey Horsburgh has sent another emphatic message to Maroons coach Billy Slater as his push for a recall to the Queensland side gathers steam. Walsh squandered a glorious chance to respond to rival fullback Kalyn Ponga's masterclass for Newcastle on Thursday night, that has seen calls grow for the Knights skipper to be picked in the Maroons No.1 jersey ahead of the Brisbane star. The Broncos fullback had a night to forget in the nation's capital as Ricky Stuart's Raiders gave the visitors a stark reality check. Many experts named Brisbane among the favourites to win the premiership this year after their crushing win over the Roosters in round one. But Michael Maguire's men were sent crashing back to earth by an impressive Raiders side that made it two wins from two to start the new season.Walsh was well below his best for the majority of the game after coughing up four errors, missing four tackles, and running for just 96 metres. The Broncos fullback is close to unplayable when he's on song but has a tendency to have these sorts of games every now and then and it will surely be a concern for Maroons coach Slater when it comes to picking a Queensland team to try and win back the Origin shield this year. The Brisbane No.1 failed to inject himself into the game during a very quiet first half as Canberra's pack out-muscled and out-enthused the star-studded Broncos middle forwards, led by Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan. And when Walsh did try to get more involved in the second forty, with his side trailing 16-10 at the break, the Broncos fullback was once again guilty of trying to do too much as errors and ill-discipline came back to bite Brisbane. Walsh inexplicably dropped one ball close to the tryline after breaking through Canberra's defence, before throwing a cut-out pass into touch in another poorly executed play. He also put winger Jesse Arthars - whose hat-trick gave Brisbane hope - under unnecessary pressure after taking a kick return and throwing a questionable pass to his teammate, who was subsequently bundled into touch.

Backflipped star needs to 'fire up' after 'wasted year'

The Raiders slipped just one spot in 12 months, but crucially it was from eighth to the dreaded ninth place and they failed to make the finals by a whisker. They actually finished equal eighth with Newcastle on the ladder, but for and against proved their undoing. The second-worst error rate and fewest line breaks in the competition cost Ricky Stuart's men. Their attack was actually four points better than the Knights, but crucially, they conceded nearly 100 more points, which was enough for Newcastle to squeeze ahead. The Raiders' fall from finals footy can be put down largely to the departure of marquee man Jack Wighton over the summer. Youngster Ethan Strange started the year strongly as the new player in the key five-eighth role but, as often happens to a rookie, he faded late in the season. Another new face, Kaeo Weekes from Manly, proved a handy addition, shining at both halfback (when key man Jamal Fogarty was out injured) and also at fullback. Fogarty was sidelined for 10 games mid-season and the Raiders definitely missed his playmaking experience and booming kicking game. Centre Matthew Timoko continued his progression to an elite centre, although his try haul (four from 24 games) will have disappointed him. Fullback Jordan Rapana, a fan favourite, gave his all every week but he is expected to be lost to overseas rugby for 2025. Xaver Savage had a breakout season, playing every game and using his blinding speed to score 15 tries. Up front, bookends Joe Tapine and Josh Papali'i were towers of strength. They missed just one game between them all year and put the Raiders on the front foot in attack.

Canberra Raiders: 2023 finish: 8th | 2024 finish: 9th

2025 gains: Ethan Sanders (Eels), Myles Martin (Knights), Savelio Tamale (Dragons).

2025 losses: Elliott Whitehead (Catalans Dragons), Nick Cotric (Catalans Dragons), James Schiller (Knights), Jordan Rapana (unsigned), Zac Woolford (Huddersfield), Jordan Rapana.

Fiery Raider starting to mature

Corey Horsburgh pressed his claims for a Queensland State of Origin call-up with a fast and furious performance against the Titans on Saturday afternoon.The fiery Raiders red-head made 55 tackles — more than anyone on the field — in his 70 minutes of game time against the Titans and ran for 113 metres.But perhaps most importantly, in a pressure match, Horsburgh's discipline could not be faulted.The tough forward has had brain explosions in tight games in the past but was faultless in the Raiders' narrow 26-22 win.

Three-year feud behind fiery Raider star's punch

Fiery Raiders forward Corey Horsburgh's brain snap against Parramatta's Ryan Matterson was sparked by a feud that stretches back some three years.Horsburgh was sent to the sin bin for allegedly punching Matterson during a tough clash in Canberra, won ultimately 26-18 by the Raiders.But the incident that saw him sent to cool his heels can be traced back to an infamous night at Bankwest Stadium in 2020.Horsburgh left the field in tears after suffering a broken ankle in a tackle involving Matterson.The pair almost came to blows then and Horsburgh broke down and flipped the bird at the small crowd as the Parramatta fans taunted him when he left the field. It ended his season.It was the low point of Horsburgh's career, who has turned his game around admirably this season as has been one of the Raiders' best.But he clearly hasn't forgotten the incident three years ago and when a melee broke out in the first half, he sent a blow aimed at Matterson's chin.Referee Grant Atkins had no hesitation sending Horsburgh to the sin bin but it didn't stop the Raiders going on to record their fifth straight win.

Cult hero an Origin bolter?

Is there a more improved player in the early rounds of the new season than Raiders firebrand Corey Horsburgh?Horsburgh has been in strife because of his aggressive approach in the past but seems to have learned to control his temper over the off-season.The flame-haired forward led the way in the shock 20-14 win over the undefeated Broncos, taking on the big Brisbane pack from start to finish.Horsburgh made some strong runs, bone-rattling tackles and vital plays as the Raiders made amends for their poor performance the previous week in emphatic style.