“I don’t think we could have given any more effort, the effort was there all night,” Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans said.

“We did our best tonight, and it wasn’t good enough, and right that’s hard to understand because you give everything, but there has to be a loser, and unfortunately, it’s us this year.”

All-time defensive battle convinces Slater to keep wildcard selections

The Maroons were lost at sea in the first half of game two, yet in Brisbane completely transformed their goal line defence.

Despite giving up 58 per cent of possession and 72 per cent of the territory to the Blues in the opening 40 minutes, the hosts somehow took a 2-0 lead into halftime at Suncorp Stadium.

Crucial tackles from the likes of Tom Dearden, Cherry-Evans and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow forced mistakes, while desperate kick cover from Lindsay Collins and Kurt Capewell saved two attacking raids.

The players clearly took the Melbourne humbling personally and responded, but the wave of Blues momentum had to reap the rewards eventually.

After trading second-half penalty goals, it did; the Blues’ halves pulling the strings as Jarome Luai unleashed Bradman Best for the game’s first try – after 65 minutes – and Mitch Moses sliced through to seal the win.

Slater clearly had his troops up for this, declaring “I feel like the team was defeated, it certainly doesn’t feel like a loss,” but their rivals were every bit as up to task, and had the weapons in their kit bag to execute when needed.

The move to include Kalyn Ponga on his bench failed to produce the X-factor play needed, and in contrast, the Blues’ threats were clinical in the big moments.

Loading

But while his selections have caused debate, Slater claimed he would be unafraid to make the same gambles, including the Reece Walsh-Ponga combination.

“Why not?” Slater said.

“I’ve played with Karmichael Hunt, I’ve played alongside Darius Boyd. Sometimes you can look at the footy, and you look at positions, and you can go traditional, or you can actually be innovative and think of different ways to play the game.

“I’m not saying that’s what we did ... but there’s all those options out there. Maybe we just don’t explore them enough.

“When you’ve got guys like Pat Carrigan and Reuben Cotter who can play huge minutes … you can have a bit of a flexible bench.”

Dearden proves he is more than a fill-in

He may have only been parachuted into the team to cover Cameron Munster, but Tom Dearden must be considered more than a No.6 fill-in.

Munster will be short odds to regain his jersey once he returns from a groin injury, but Dearden’s defensive exploits proved he was more than an understudy.

The Cowboys co-captain’s hit on his game two tormentor Liam Martin to squeeze the ball free was class, while his covering tackle on Stephen Crichton created another error and saved Queensland’s skin.

Dearden finished with 110 metres, a linebreak and 21 tackles for just one miss, to back up his star game one showing.

“He’s a player; he’s tough, he’s a great fella, he’s still got a huge career in front of him,” Slater said.

“He’s a little competitor, Tommy.”

Will Walsh back up?

Broncos coach Kevin Walters is desperate to get back into the winner’s circle, but he has long maintained his angst at the idea of forcing his State of Origin players to back up at clubland.

While Brisbane’s precarious position in their season could ensure the likes of Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan and Selwyn Cobbo take the field, star fullback Reece Walsh appears seriously unlikely.

Walsh was completely battered in game three. Several times he received medical attention for what looked to be a foot issue, while at some stage he was on the ground writhing in pain clutching at his lower back.

He bravely fought on, finishing with 139 metres and eight tackle busts, but there is every chance Tristan Sailor will keep the Broncos’ No.1 jumper for Saturday’s clash with Newcastle.

Slater, while attempting to remain diplomatic, voiced some frustrations at the treatment his fullback received.

“He certainly was getting hit a fair bit without the footy. They [the officials] will review their own game, I’m sure they’ll look at that,” Slater said.

“It’s a game of rugby league, it’s at State of Origin level. I’ve been out there, I know what it’s like, I understand what he’s going through; it’s just the way it is.”

NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now