After a few weeks of very solid hit outs Souths got the BYE just when then needed it. It has allowed a few key players some recovery time.

Keary had a good second hit out after his injury. He asisted the Bears to almost beating the NSW Cup compeition leaders who were bolstered with the inlcusion of two former SOO player TYim Grant and Jamal Idris.

In a tight U18 game Cottrell came on in teh second half and help turn the match in favour of NSW. A player to watch in coming weeks as he finds his feet in U20's.

NSW after 8 long years have won the SOO series. After injury to Cronk Queensland struggled to dominate NSW and this was a telling factor the return of shield south of the border.

Next year State of Origin will return to the MCG. This is a interesting move and as a novelty it will work as all Victorian hate NSW just as much as Queenslanders do. But you have to ask taking a Origin game away from the heartland, would it be sustainable ?