By Jack Brady - NRL.com
This story appeared first on nrl.com
With emotion running high, injuries hampering several key players and their eight-year dynasty finally broken, the Maroons are still standing tall despite falling to their first State of Origin series defeat since 2005.
As disappointing as the situation has been for Queensland stars Ben Te'o and Nate Myles, the duo remained adamant the series was far from over as they look to prevent a New South Wales whitewash.
While the bounce of the ball didn't go the Maroons' way at times during Origin II and the pre-game focus on the fitness of key players Billy Slater, Greg Inglis and Daly Cherry-Evans wouldn't have helped, to their credit Queensland offered no excuses for the series defeat.
The Maroons are now in a position they haven't faced since 2003, when the majority of players in the current team were yet to make their state debut.
With a level of pride still on the line, Te'o insisted the Maroons would be going all out to prevent a whitewash at Suncorp Stadium on July 9.
"It hurts but this team has had a lot of success. We have such a strong culture and I think the way we played... we kept it all going strong and we look to Game Three now," Te'o said.
"Mal just said to keep our heads up and that we did our jersey proud."
With Te'o set to line up for perhaps his last ever game in the maroon jumper after signalling his intentions to leave the Rabbitohs and possibly the NRL at the end of the season, the back-rower was very frank on his assessment of the series' outcome.
"No-one has died, it's just a game," he said. "We move on now and give it our all in Game Three."
A banged-up Myles echoed his Queensland teammate, saying the team's test now is how they bounce back from this obvious disappointment.
"It is disappointing. I'm a bit confused with the emotions going through myself. We just have to work on how we react to it and how we respond to the things that are going to come our way," Myles said.
Myles, who punched out 59 tackles and 115 metres during Origin II, spoke candidly about the Maroons and how they will continue to keep rolling with the punches in their efforts to prevent a whitewash.
"If ever there's a test or a greater test for us as a side it was Game Two, and now it's the next game," the Titans co-captain said.
"Everyone else will keep on rising and that's how we want to be as a team. We definitely don't want to go out 3-0."
