A good kick can help win a game, just as much as a bad one can cost you a game.
Rookie New South Wales halfback Peter Wallace has learnt the importance of both.
The 22-year-old, thrust into his State of Origin debut after just 29 NRL games, had easily the toughest assignment at ANZ Stadium, charged with the responsibility of guiding a NSW side desperate for redemption to an important game one victory.
To help fast-track his Origin initiation the best halfback in 100 years of rugby league, recently retired NSW great Andrew Johns, was brought into camp to give Wallace a nine-day crash course in the art of tactical kicking.
Wallace was, after all, confronting the world's current best halfback Johnathan Thurston who himself is one of the finest kickers the game has seen.
The "Joey Master class" paid almost immediate dividends as Wallace produced a faultless opening 20 minutes to Origin that put NSW out to a 10-0 lead.
Wallace made a linebreak with one of his first touches and then started the backline movement which resulted in Anthony Quinn's fourth minute try.
He constantly kicked away from dangerous Queensland fullback Billy Slater and wasn't deterred even after being barreled by intimidating prop Petero Civoniceva after he booted the ball.
Then in the 18th minute came his sweetest strike of the night, an inch perfect cross field kick that sailed above and beyond Brent Tate directly into the waiting hands of Quinn for another four-pointer.
Even Johns was impressed.
"He is going to be under all sorts of pressure," said Johns from the NSW bench.
"His control really impresses me ... he is on fire."
That was the good. Now for the bad.
With Queensland constantly applying pressure Wallace finally buckled when his clearing kick from just inside his own half sailed well beyond the sideline in the 38th minute.
It gifted Queensland ideal field placement to launch a late rally and Thurston didn't waste the opportunity with his own reply to Wallace's kicking efforts.
The two-time Dally M medal winner grubbered to the corner and Tate ground the ball as the half time siren sounded to give Queensland a confidence boost despite carrying a 14-4 deficit into the changerooms.
The break came at the right time and Joey took his student aside for some new instructions, telling Wallace to take complete control of the game and Test five-eighth Greg Bird to take a backseat and play as a lock.
Again Wallace stood tall.
With the game on the line, and both sides jockeying for the advantage, it was Wallace's controlled kicking game which eventually prevailed thanks to his ability to generate repeat possession off the boot.
NSW centre Mark Gasnier then continued giving young rival Greg Inglis his own football lesson by rounding the Maroons superstar to put Anthony Laffranchi over for the match-sealer in the 68th minute.
"I have learnt so much in the past week, stuff I will take away for the rest of my career," said Wallace of his lessons from Johns.
"It was just awesome."
