Stephen and Christian Crichton, who have both had NRL careers with Penrith and Canterbury, had never played together or against each other until now. On Thursday, they finally competed against each other for the first time outside their backyard, during a NSW practice session before the State of Origin decider.
The Blues engaged in an opposed training session at Blue Mountains Grammar School in Wentworth Falls, playing against a St Marys team from the third-tier Ron Massey Cup. This session mirrored their preparation for game two, but with simulated crowd noise to acclimate to the intense atmosphere expected at Suncorp Stadium.
The session was notable for the absence of Bradman Best, who, despite a hamstring twinge, is anticipated to be fit for the decider. Additionally, it marked the first clash between the Crichton brothers. Stephen practiced in his usual centre position, while Christian played on the wing for St Marys.
When asked if he reminded his brother who was boss by jamming in on the NSW three-quarter, Christian laughed and said, “I did a few times, but since it wasn’t full contact, I couldn’t really whack him. It was good though. We train together a lot, so it wasn’t anything new.”
“In this environment, being around the Blues camp and being part of their preparation, our main focus is to do our job well, ensuring they get what they need from the session without doing anything silly or causing injuries. But it’s good fun,” said Christian Crichton.
Christian, who is four years older at 27, took the day off from his job at Kennards Hire to participate in the session, having missed the previous scrimmage due to work commitments.
“I tried not to make Stephen’s job easy. The boys are looking really good and preparing well,” Christian said. “It was good to be a part of their prep.”
Stephen Crichton has emerged as one of the top players in the NRL, thriving with the added responsibility of being Canterbury’s skipper after leaving Penrith. However, Christian noted that Stephen was not initially seen as a future superstar during his junior years.
“Surprisingly, not really,” Christian said. “Coming through the grades, he was in division two. It wasn’t until the 16s and 18s that he really got good.
“He wasn’t the best player, but he just liked to work hard. Over the years, with good coaching, he has picked up things, continued to learn, and improved. That’s what has got him to where he is today—hard work and a constant desire to learn.”
During the opposed session, cheering and booing were pumped through the speakers to simulate the noisy environment expected at Suncorp Stadium, forcing the players to rely on non-verbal communication.
“It’s going to be loud up there,” said NSW No.7 Mitchell Moses. “This helps us adapt to the noise and talk to each other clearly.
“We’re focused on being extra clear in communicating about what we need to do and where we need to be. I think it will be useful to get a feel for it on the field and understand how we can react to the noise.”
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