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Queensland great calls for Maroons to target Payne Haas in brutal move for State of Origin 3

Corey Parker has urged Pat Carrigan to target Payne Haas to make a statement.

ben talintyre
Sports Reporter
·4-min read

Queensland great Corey Parker has called on Pat Carrigan to 'fly out of the line and level Payne Haas' to make an early statement in the State of Origin series decider on Wednesday night. Ahead of Game 3, Carrigan vowed to step up and not let Queensland’s forwards be dominated through the middle again after the Maroons pack came under heavy fire following their 38-18 loss in Game 2 at the MCG.

Origin greats got stuck into the Maroons forwards after their embarrassing Game 2 defeat, with the likes of legendary NSW hardman Mark Carroll claiming the Queensland forward pack "wouldn’t scare kids in a creche". This led to Maroons greats such as Parker imploring the side to make a statement from the outset at Suncorp stadium.

And Parker believes the perfect man to target to send a message is Haas, who was instrumental in NSW's Game 2 success. The Broncos and NSW prop produced one of the better performances at the MCG last month as he helped the Blues win the forward battle, running for a whopping 166 metres and defensively bullying Queensland.

Pictured L-R: Corey Parker, Pat Carrigan, Payne Haas
Corey Parker has urged Pat Carrigan to target Payne Haas in the Origin series decider. Image: Getty

Parker believes if Carrigan goes after his Broncos mate in the opening exchanges it will set the tone for the Maroons. “It’s time for Carrigan to take on Payne Haas. Rip his f***ing head off. Seriously,” Parker said to News Corp. “In Origin, the friendship gets put aside for 80 minutes. I remember playing against my best mate Michael Ennis in Origin.

“With my first run, he hit me with a swinging arm across the nose and the next run I did, I said, ‘Cop this’ and hit him with my forearm. Pat should make a statement. Fly out of the line and level Payne. Whack him. They are best mates but that’s what Origin is about, mate versus mate.

"Payne Haas is their big dog, so Pat should take it upon himself to go after Payne Haas. Forget all the jargon about completion rates and defensive systems. Someone needs to send a message in this Queensland team. From the first minute, Pat Carrigan should go out there and whack Payne and send a statement to NSW that yes, we’re here to play.”

Queensland have vowed not to be pushed around again in Game 3 and fellow Maroons legend Cameron Smith urged Queensland to use some dodgy tactics to ensure the Blues don't get their way again. “Rough them up, get amongst them, push the boundaries like they did (NSW) in Game 2,” he said on SEN radio on Tuesday.

“You look back over the last however long you want to look back at the game of rugby league, there’s been no team that has gone on to win a big game like this one tomorrow night without pushing the boundaries of the rules. Whether we receive or kick off… they need to run like they’ve been shot out of a cannon.

“They need to be returning the ball like they want to run over someone and really make an impact for their footy side and say ‘Hey look this is the way things are going to go for our team tonight’. If we win the toss, I’d be kicking off, and say hey boys let’s send a message right now, not only to the opposition but we’re going to send a message to the referee and we’re sending a message to the crowd about this is the way this team’s going to play tonight and put it on the Blues."

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 08: Harry Grant of the Maroons and Cameron Smith celebrate victory after game one of the 2022 State of Origin series between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons at Accor Stadium on June 08, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Cameron Smith wants to see Queensland "rough up" the Blues on Wednesday night.

Carrigan knows that he needs to lead from the front if his side is to secure a third straight series victory at Suncorp. "I know I have to go to a new standard, I know I am capable of it and we are just going to have to find out on Wednesday night," Carrigan said.

“We have one more game to go and I’m keen to get it on. You do whatever you have to do in that arena to get the job done for your teammates.

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“We got beaten in the middle in Game 2, that’s no lie. The way I play the game is similar to a lot of the NSW guys - tough, fast and I love the pace and challenge that Origin brings. As a forward pack, we’ll back our ability. With all the build-up, people can talk as much as they want, but it all comes down to actions on Wednesday night.