Inspirational One New Zealand Warriors forward Mitchell Barnett couldn’t have hoped for a more dramatic and unforgettable State of Origin debut.
Being prepared for anything at any time is a necessity for every player – and the 30-year-old Barnett certainly had to be last night.
Suncorp Stadium witnessed a decider like few others, a battle which exploded with an intoxicating cocktail of intensity, speed and brutality.
Sitting on the bench, Barnett had prepared for an interchange role, potentially going on after about 20-25 minutes.
So much for plans.
Instead of being a bench player he effectively became a starting forward when, after just two and a half minutes, left edge second rower Angus Crichton was taken off the field for a head injury assessment.
Cue Barnett for his debut as New South Wales Origin player #318. No time to think about it.
It was the stage Barnett is made for. In a word tough.
His initial stint would last just 15 minutes with Crichton cleared to return but in that time the Warriors hard man did all that was required of him before being thrown back into the fray for a much longer stint.
By the time the match was counting down to the Blues' 14-4 series-clinching win, Barnett was back on the sideline ready to race onto the field for the celebrations.
In all he spent 48 minutes in the heat of the battle, making 11 typically strong carries for 73 metres and providing a stellar shift on defence with 30 tackles, no misses and one ineffective tackle while he had no errors and didn’t concede any penalties.
On a night when the Warriors had two players in an Origin match for the first time since 2015, Kurt Capewell was also wholehearted for the Maroons. He played 72 minutes straight and made 12 runs for 80 metres plus 41 tackles.
It is yet to be confirmed whether Barnett and Capewell will back up as hoped for in the Warriors’ round 20 clash against Canberra tomorrow night.
