Collins finds purity, expects ‘another level’ in Origin

Murray Wenzel | May 28, 2023

Lindsay Collins remembers everything that happened on the night he was concussed and Queensland sealed an incredible State of Origin series.

But the Maroons enforcer was still made sure he watched a replay of the moment he became the third player concussed inside the first three minutes of the crazy decider at Suncorp Stadium in 2022.

“I like to see, it sounds weird, but how I got concussed,” he said ahead of the series opener in Adelaide.

“I wanted to see what I did wrong. It was just poor tackle action, had my head in the wrong spot.

“You make those mistakes, you learn from them.”

Collins will return to the Origin arena on Wednesday as part of a new-look partnership with second-gamer Tom Flegler, in a clash he expects to be every bit as fierce.

“You look at Origin 10 years ago … everyone gets more athletic, bigger, stronger,” he said.

“The game keeps going up and up and up. It’ll be no different again this year, we’ll go up another level.”

Rating his form as good as ever following his 2021 anterior cruciate ligament tear, Collins says he’s comfortable assuming the role of Queensland’s “enforcer”.

“If you’re not thinking that, you’re pretty silly,” he said.  

“You’re a front-rower in State of Origin football. You’ve got to be an enforcer.

“It’s probably some of the best footy I’ve been playing in the last couple of years.

“Last year I was getting back from the ACL and ticking a few boxes.

“This year is about expanding my footy. There’s that purity in being able to play, doing your job and then doing a little bit more as well.

“Getting back to that fun style of what you play growing up.”