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Sport Nation
Queensland and NSW legends take aim after Origin II penalty outrage
Sam Kosack • June 19th, 2025 10:40 am
Queensland legend Corey Parker has taken aim at the penalty count from Game II, firmly believing the number of penalties blown in an Origin contest was “a concern”.
The Maroons walked away 26-24 victors in last night’s Origin clash in Perth but were leading 26-6 at half-time.
Outrage emerged post-game over the penalty count, with Queensland receiving eight penalties to NSW’s zero at half-time, before the game finished with a 10-2 count.
Parker, who represented Queensland on 19 occasions, said he struggled to understand why so many penalties were awarded by referee Ashley Klein.
“I just don't, I can't get around that at all,” Parker said on SENQ Breakfast.
“8-0 at half-time, and I'm a Queenslander, and you could say every one of those eight were warranted.
“I just don't think you need 12 penalties and 10 of those going in the way of one team.
“I think it’s a concern for the game personally.”
NSW legend Brandy Alexander conceded many of the penalties against NSW were warranted but disagreed that Queensland was perfect with their discipline.
“Many of those penalties were warranted, that were given against New South Wales,” Alexander said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“The Jarome Luai one was silly. The Zac Lomax elbow, even though I said set restart should have been called before he gave the elbow.
“There were moments where New South Wales let themselves down, and what they did off the back of that was then make errors.
“So, when they were penalised, then they’d make an error, or they’d give a set restart away, and that really hurt them.
“But my point of the penalty count is that Queensland in the first half was zero.”
