Cameron Munster chose an apt four-letter word to sum up Queensland’s State of Origin shocker in game one. No, not that one starting with s, which might have fitted just as well, but this one: “dumb”.

Given a lifeline back into the game having been completely dominated for most of the first half via Brian To’o’s sin binning, the Maroons fumbled and bumbled their way through the second term as a brief challenge came to a whimper.

“We’ve just got to be smarter,” said Maroons veteran Munster. “I feel like sometimes we played some dumb footy and gave them too many opportunities. Versing the best of the best, and when you’ve given them so much ball in your red zone, they’re going to eventually score.”

The Maroons struggled to chase the game with handling errors, poor passes and communication snafus and even a forward pass at the death to see a potential try cancelled out.

Andrew Johns suggested that if NSW had turned up with their full intensity and kicking boots, the margin could have been “40 or 50”. It was a strangely subdued game for an Origin contest.

Former New South Wales coach Phil Gould suggested there would be no silver bullet for Queensland coach Billy Slater ahead of game two, although inevitably, talk immediately turned to potential replacements and the careers of some of the older Maroons, such as Daly Cherry-Evans.

Mitchell Moses of the Blues tackles Daly Cherry-Evans. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“NSW were very dominant. The only thing that got Queensland back into it for a while was the sin bin,” said Gould on Nine.

“They got a try during that period, but I thought NSW for as well as they played, they also played very conservatively. They were just happy to come here and grind out the win and get the job done.

“Four tries to one, [Nathan] Cleary couldn’t kick a conversion. It could have been very, very dominant and I think NSW can only get better from it.

“So, where does that leave Queensland? Because they were off the pace tonight. They weren’t in the game. I’m struggling to see how they can improve it through selection, so it’s going to have to be these players that find a different way.”

Blues coach Laurie Daley was cautious not to go the early crow.

“I thought we were very brave tonight,” said Daley.

“The second half, we made it a bit tough on ourselves. But yeah, obviously we’ll take a lot out of that game and be better in game two.

Zac Lomax of the Blues celebrates with teammates after scoring a try. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“I think we can get a lot better. But one thing I’m very proud of the guys is that we spoke about being physical, and they went at it, and they continued to do it. So that’s probably a learning for me as well – make sure that as well as being physical, we’re going to have some energy when we get the ball.

“I know this team will be a lot better in games two and three, but we’ve just got to work hard, enjoy the night, obviously, but know that Queensland will come back.

“We’re going to be prepared to work hard when we come into this next camp because we’ve achieved nothing.”

Gould said, “I don’t think they’ve achieved nothing. I think what they’ve achieved is shattering Queensland. I think Queensland are really going to have some nightmares over that game.

Cameron Munster of the Maroons. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“I just don’t see any answers for them. I don’t see any answers in the selection room. The individual players on the team are going to have to play better, but in all the important parts of the game, they’re just outpointed tonight. I don’t know that they’ve got it in them to come back from that.”

Johns was scathing of the Queensland effort, slating Harry Grant and suggesting a starting call-up for 24-year-old halfback Tom Dearden over Cherry-Evans, 36.

“The discipline was poor, giving away penalties. I thought the middle forwards for Queensland got dominated, except for Tino. There wasn’t any punch off the bench.

“Without that go-forward dominance in the middle, it’s very hard for the key players to combine. But I thought Ponga and Munster, DCE and Harry, that was probably the worst game I’ve seen Harry play.

“Probably big decisions to be made by Billy. No one beats Father Time, DCE’s what, 36? I think they have to pull the trigger and bring Dearden in. But I don’t know where the improvement comes with this group.”

Maroons legend Cam Smith said Slater will be forensic in the aftermath of this insipid display.

“Billy will have that discussion with his selection panel, and he’ll he’ll go through this game thoroughly,” said Smith.

“He’ll watch it multiple times from different angles, and he’ll pick it to pieces, and he’ll do his due diligence on what happened tonight.

“There’s no doubt that the key position players of Queensland really lacked a bit of cohesion. In the crucial moments, they just couldn’t get the job done.

“The telling point for Queensland again tonight is we scored one try coming off game three last year, where we didn’t score a single try.”