Wallace stands firm as Brisbane slide - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Wallace stands firm as Brisbane slide

By Wayne Heming 13/06/2009 12:43:22 PM Comments (0)

Brisbane may have lost some confidence and be struggling defensively after two heavy losses but halfback Peter Wallace's NSW Origin jumper looks safe.

Desperate Blues selectors are set to avoid taking any gambles on Monday night when they reveal their 17-man squad for the return game in Sydney on June 24.

With Queensland on the verge of creating history as the first state to win four straight series since Origin moved to a best-of-three format in 1982, it's all or nothing for the Blues.

After a lacklustre showing in Origin I they're expected to make a change in the halves with Newcastle's Jarrod Mullen a strong tip to replace Canberra five-eighth Terry Campese.

Wallace didn't have a great Origin in Melbourne but Campese was very quiet in attack and disappointing on the night.

Brisbane received their second flogging in a week by being savaged 44-22 by the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

But Wallace, who made 20 tackles, was one of a handful of players who stood up on a tough night for the club, gripped by swine flu during the build-up to the clash and rocked by the death on Monday of legendary recruiting scout Cyril Connell.

Concerned coach Ivan Henjak and skipper Darren Lockyer said Brisbane needed to find some answers after leaking 92 points in its last 160 minutes during the testing Origin period.

Wallace's game was far from perfect with five missed tackles but his cover defence and kick-chase efforts and the way he took the ball to the defensive line were first class.

"It was pretty disappointing the second week in a row having 40 (points) put on us ... we've got a lot to fix up," said a bitterly disappointed Wallace.

"At the moment we're just leaking too many points and we need to fix our defence and our attack will follow.

"We're letting teams out of their own end too easily.

"We can't blame the week we had for the loss.

"All the guys are disappointed.

"It's hard to come off one big loss but when you've got two in a row it's a bit disheartening.

"It didn't help having the week away from each other because when you get a touch up the first thing you want to do is get back with the guys at training and start ripping in with your mates.

"Having the week off probably didn't help us but we shouldn't have lost like that."

Wallace said the players had to stick together for the next month or so until Origin was over.

"It's easy to fall apart and start looking at the negatives too much but if we can look at the positive we know we've got a lot of hard work ahead of us and we know we've got a good football team."

One player still managing a smile was forward Ashton Sims who explained his unusual try celebration when he kissed his wrist and raised his arm.

He said it was dedicated to his new-born son Kobe, with Sims having strapped his son's hospital identification band to his wrist before the game.

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