Cameron Smith’s biggest Origin II fear? Rugby league’s greatest liar |
Cameron Smith’s biggest Origin II fear? Rugby league’s greatest liar
June 15, 2026 — 1:33pm
You have reached your maximum number of saved items.
Remove items from your saved list to add more.
Lie with your eyes. Fib with your feet.
If Api Koroisau does not have his playmaking philosophy slapped on a bumper sticker already, he should.
Because it’s enough to have one of the greatest ever No.9s and Maroons icon Cameron Smith on edge.
“The way Api plays, and the way the game is being played with the extra set restarts and an open ruck, he could break Queensland open,” Smith said.
“He is a huge threat off the bench for the Queensland defence, especially if he’s coming on against tired defenders.
“Their control of the play-the-ball will have to be better when he comes on, or he really could be the key to unlocking [Nathan] Cleary and [Mitchell] Moses and the NSW outside backs.”
Koroisau is back in sky blue for his first Origin since 2023. And he’s being sized up in both state camps for the type of late-game impact Blayke Brailey had in game one after coming on for starting No.9 Reece Robson, albeit after the Maroons lost Kalyn Ponga and were defending a man down.
Smith is especially wary. Rugby league’s master........