NRL: Can the home advantage help redeem Maroons’ 32 point loss?

Is Suncorp Stadium or as it was formerly known Lang Park, worth 32 points to Queensland?

It’s hard to see how rookie coach Billy Slater can turn last night’s 44-12 drubbing in Perth into a series’ deciding State of Origin win in Brisbane.

But that’s to dismiss the value to the Maroons of 50,500 rabid, parochial Queensland fans packed into Milton’s Suncorp Stadium ready to give the Blue’s players a torrid night from the stands.

And while stats don’t win games, they support how hard Queensland is to beat in series deciders, especially at Lang Park.

The Maroons are the Kings of deciders and with the players hurting so badly after an embarrassing loss, at least on the scoreboard, they will be fired up to deny the cocky cockroaches their first series-deciding win at Lang Park in 17 years.

In fact, series stats weigh heavily in favour of the Maroons who have won the last five played at Suncorp since 2011 and six of the 9, played in Brisbane, including one draw, since 1982

There have been 53 Origins played at the ground with Queensland holding a clear advantage 36-19, with one draw in 1999.

That said, Queensland has to find a big improvement from Perth to have any chance of upsetting the Blues who will be bursting with confidence after they demolished the Maroons on the back of Nathan Cleary’s master class.

Cleary was off his game in Sydney but bounced back with a player-of-the-match performance in Perth with a career-best Origin performance which included two tries and 7 goals.

Cleary’s five-star performance was so dominant it prompted former NSW and Australian halfback Andrew Johns to declare the Penrith No.7 could end his NRL career as the greatest half of all-time.

NSW enjoyed a 60-40 percent share of the ball and had 10 sets more with the football.

Queensland was also gassed having to play a huge 10 minutes with only 12 men which led to fatigue setting in the final 20 minutes.

They had to make almost 100 more tackles than the Blues and missed an alarming 56 tackles with defensive tyro Reuben Cotter out injured.

That all equates to a scoreboard flogging for Queensland and a massive challenge in Brisbane on July 13.

While NSW coach Brad Fittler made seven changes in response to his state’s 16-10 loss in Sydney last month, Queensland is not expected to make many changes, if any, with Slater prepared to let the players redeem themselves.

History Of State of Origin Deciders