So, the crazy ending to State of Origin III has left both New South Wales and Queensland feeling pretty blue, not just because of the game, but also because the NRL slapped them with a whopping $26,100 in fines. South Sydney's coach, Michael Maguire, is totally backing the players who got caught up in the mess, saying he'd probably do the same thing if he was out there in the thick of it.
Thursday rolled around, and Cameron Murray from the Blues got a two-game time-out for his part in the big fight. Rabbitohs' boss, Blake Solly, isn't too happy with how the whole discipline thing went down, calling it "amateur hour." Meanwhile, Manly's Haumole Olakau'atu is waiting to see if he's also getting benched for a couple of games.
But it's not just about sitting out a few games. NSW's halfback Mitchell Moses is done for the season because of a bicep injury he got during the decider. And Penrith's Dylan Edwards might be out for up to three weeks with a dodgy knee. Even though he's hurt, he still managed to snag man-of-the-match, which is pretty badass.
Queensland isn't having it easy either. Pat Carrigan's gotta rock a moon boot now, and Reece Walsh isn't looking too good for Brisbane's next game.
And let's talk cash – players from both sides got fined a chunk of their match pay because of the brawl. So, it's not just their pride that's bruised, it's their wallets too.
Maguire's not stoked about Murray and Olakau'atu's suspensions, especially because it's gonna mess with their teams' chances in the finals. Looking back on the whole kerfuffle, he said, "What would you do? I'd do the same, I reckon anyone would."
Jarome Luai, the Blues' number six, talked about how intense the game was and how the fight was just part of the Origin vibe. It's like everyone's playing super hard because it's such a big deal.
