Lone survivor Cordner hungry for back to back series wins

NSW Blues captain Boyd Cordner knows a thing or two about trying to back up an Origin series win or a NRL premiership.

He didn't get there with the Blues in 2015, or with the Roosters in 2014. But he's back in the fight again for both in 2019.

"Any time you play an Origin game it's so hard to win it – just that one game," Cordner told NRL.com.

"But it's a best-of-three series so it's even harder to win two games in a row or two out of three.

"And that's especially when one team is coming off a loss, they are going to come out and be a totally different proposition the next time.

"Where you play the next game also comes into account. NSW likes playing in NSW and Queensland likes playing up there.

"There's a whole lot of reasons that make it hard. Maybe the biggest one is that the other team is just as hungry for it as you are."

Cordner was in the thick of the action in 2014 trying to back up the Roosters 2013 title win over Manly. The Bondi Junction men were again minor premiers but lost the preliminary final to South Sydney.

He is now trying to bring the Roosters that double after beating Storm in the 2018 NRL final.

"As far as a premiership goes, it is such a long season," he said.

"Everyone talks about complacency – once you've won it you drop off a bit in intensity.

"But I don't think that's the case any more. From my own personal experience, once you've tasted that kind of success – and I've been fortunate enough to do that twice – you want more of it.

"I suppose that's why our sport is so good to watch because there hasn't been a back-to-back premiership winner in over 20 years and there hasn't been an Origin back-to-back for nearly 15 years.

"Every Origin series is just so close."

And most are decided by a 2-1 finish. Since 2000 there has only been two clean-sweeps in 18 series: NSW won 3-0 in that year, and Queensland in 2010.  

Cordner and centre Josh Morris are the only two survivors from the 2014 Origin win by the Blues under former coach Laurie Daley, to the 2019 team under Brad Fittler. Morris played game one but was overlooked for games two and three.

"I definitely feel sometimes like I've got five years of Origin hits in my bones but it's something you can't get enough of. You just want more and more," Cordner said.

"This jersey means so much to me. I obviously want to play as long as I can for NSW.

"It doesn't feel like I'm the only survivor from 2014. I just take each series as it comes but to look back on that, it's a pretty cool thing to be there from that time, and to have the chance to win it again.

"Obviously J-Moz must feel the same way as he's a part of this series as well."