NSW skipper Paul Gallen's filthy over copping an Origin ban for belting Nate Myles Paul Gallen lands a shot to the jaw of Nate Myles. DID my fight with Nate Myles change the game? Why did I react the way I did? Was it a bad look for rugby league? Am I scared of Queensland putting a target on me for game two? So many questions have been thrown my way in the wake of Wednesday night's State of Origin match. The biggest shame of it all is that the incident between Nate and myself has taken the gloss off the Blues' victory. He's tough, Nate, and plays the game hard. He's an experienced footballer and was the Maroons' best forward last Wednesday night. He showed character to claim that what happens on the field in Origin, should stay there. In fact, the only people who didn't have this view were those not involved. Nate's ability to play the way he does is the reason why we ended up coming to blows. I'll be the first to admit, I'm no angel on the field. But some things Nate has done in the past and continued to do on Wednesday night culminated in the two of us coming together. It was a case of hit or be hit. That's what Origin does. You're taught to never give an inch. I don't hold any grudges towards Nate. By the sounds of it, he doesn't either. Up north, they're speaking about retribution, but it doesn't really faze me. I honestly don't care what's being said, so long as the Blues get the result. Victory for NSW is all that matters now. While I have no animosity towards Nate, I'm filthy that I've been suspended. If a fight in Origin is now worth a possible two weeks on the sidelines, then clearly the NRL has drawn a line in the sand. My club Cronulla are the biggest losers in this. I should be out there ripping and tearing for the Sharks. I wanted to contest the charge, but the threat of missing two weeks instead of one forced me to take the early plea. By taking their stance, the NRL must also ensure footage of the fight is now banned from all promotional use in the lead-up to game two. Every year Origin is promoted as a battle field. Fans are told there's genuine hatred between both states, that it's us versus them. Images of Queensland's Arthur Beetson belting his Parramatta teammate and Blues rival Mick Cronin are legend. Mark Geyer and Wally Lewis going hammer and tongs, Jamie Goddard and Andrew Johns hurling fists and Tommy Raudonikis' 'Cattledog' call are all used to help sell Origin, yet here I am on the sidelines. I appreciate that some parents would be put off by what happened. I totally understand that. I would never advocate violence or condone behaviour that encourages others to do so. Anyone who knows me would vouch for that. As a father, my kids aren't old enough to understand what Dad does for his job or what happens on the footy field. But certainly I wouldn't have a problem explaining to them when they're old enough that Dad's job is not like many other jobs. I'm paid to win a physical battle with my opponent. I'm paid to use my body to hit the opposition. I'm paid to keep running the hardest I can into other people, who in return want to hit their Dad the hardest they can. And if I don't do this, Dad may not have a job. I know this is a very simple way to explain the game of rugby league, but Origin is the purest form of speed and aggression and when emotions spill over things can unfortunately happen. I'm disappointed that my run-in with Nate has taken the gloss off what was a terrific Blues performance. As a team, we came together brilliantly and we played to our structure really well. There were some wonderful performances. Luke Lewis was outstanding, Blake Ferguson did his job well, Andrew Fifita and Trent Merrin lifted us when they came on, while our halves were strong and will be better for the experience. We all have to improve. Our completion rate fell away in the second half and we allowed Queensland to get back into the match. We had the opportunity to really make an impression on the scoreboard, but we dropped the ball on too many occasions. We need to do a better job on Justin Hodges and I thought Corey Parker caused some problems with his offloads. I don't expect them to make any changes and, frankly, I won't spend too much time thinking about them. This campaign is about us. We have to focus on ourselves as individuals and how we can perform better in what will be a hostile environment in Brisbane. I think only injuries over the next two weeks will force Laurie Daley into making changes to our side. It's a reflection of the depth of talent that the Blues now possess that guys like Brett and Glenn Stewart, Tariq Sims, Michael Ennis and Tim Grant have been left out of the squad to date. I took a moment after our win on Wednesday to bring the boys together. It was a 10-second speech. I told them this battle isn't over. It's just the beginning.