Candid Kevin Walters lets rip on his disappointment
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Kevin Walters couldn't stop himself from dropping the f-bomb when asked about Queensland's dire night which culminated in a 38-6 thrashing by NSW in Perth.
The Queensland coach is known for being an affable character but he was straight to the point when he said "even the kick-off f---ing p---ed me off", it summed up the Maroons' woes from the get-go at Optus Stadium on Sunday night.
Walters elaborated on his displeasure with the kick-off to the game, saying it "didn't go far enough".
His team certainly did not go far enough in the effort and desire areas of the game that the Maroons usually pride themselves on.
"Origin is won on attitude and effort and we didn't match them in any area tonight," Walters said.
"I am surprised and disappointed. They are not feeling too good in there at the moment but that is Origin. They are a young side so we will all learn a lot from tonight. It was provided in our face from the get-go, about Origin football and how it should be played.
Match Highlights: Maroons v Blues
"We all saw through that opening 10 minutes that the dominant team wasn't us, and that continued throughout the game."
Walters was asked how he rated the performance out of 10 after giving his side a five out of 10 rating for their 18-12 win at Suncorp Stadium.
"How would you rate it?" he shot back before saying that "two out of 10" would be too kind.
Match: Maroons v Blues
Game 2 -
home Team
Maroons
away Team
Blues
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
Walters didn't make any excuses for his side. Dylan Napa played just 23 minutes with a broken hand but Walters said he did not re-injure it.
"We couldn't get him back out there so we put Moses [Mbye] on because we were chasing points," he said.
Walters said he would "look at" making changes for the decider on July 10 at ANZ Stadium in Perth. Broncos forward Joe Ofahengaue may come back into the frame if he recovers from the leg laceration that he sustained in Game One.
Jai Arrow is set to miss the rest of the Origin series with an ankle injury and Walters does not have a lot of options.
Walters said he could improve his preparation for game three and that the coaching staff and playing group needed to improve their attitude.
"Everyone in the team is bitterly disappointed with what we threw out tonight," Walters said.
"We got a towel up and we cop it on the chin.
