NSW have broken Queensland’s stranglehold on State of Origin with a monumental 14-4 triumph in the decider to seal the series in Brisbane for the first time since 2005.
Staring down the barrel of three straight series defeats, Michael Maguire’s Blues broke open the decider when Jarome Luai put Bradman Best through for the first try of the match in the 64th minute.
NSW then made the most of a costly Queensland penalty from the kick-off with Mitchell Moses all but sealing victory when he scored from first receiver just four minutes after Best’s try.
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The Maroons were almost dead and buried when a short kick-off fell into the hands of the Blues, who piled on the pressure after a six-again call.
But while the ball was turned over Queensland never truly threatened to score one try let alone the two required to overcome NSW.
“One of the toughest games I’ve played. Coming up here, so good to get the win,” Best told Nine, wearing a bloody lip after losing some skin earlier in the match.
“(Scoring the try) was unreal. Jarome did all the hard work and I just finished it off.”
NSW star Angus Crichton, who spent time off the field early in the decider with concussion and neck concerns, won the Wally Lewis Medal as the player of the series.
“Thank you to all the coaches for believing in us and giving us the chance to come up here and do something special,” Crichton said.
In a bitter blow for Moses, the star halfback ended the match on the bench with a suspected torn bicep — an injury that could end his season.
But he took part in the celebrations while holding his arm carefully against his body.
The victory marked only the Blues’ third win in a decider in Brisbane from 13 attempts, with the class of 2024 joining the teams from 1994 and 2005.
Making NSW’s triumph even more remarkable is that they suffered their biggest ever loss to Queensland in Origin I, after Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was sent off early in the 38-10 defeat in Sydney.
Their forwards were able to steamroll the Maroons in Melbourne three weeks ago in a 38-18 win, before both sides held firm early on Wednesday night.
In a torrid first half that continually threatened to erupt, both sides struggled to get out of their own end with the packs laying on big hit after big hit.
Emotions eventually spilled over in the 31st minute when Daly Cherry-Evans and Luai clashed, prompting a melee to head over the sideline as television monitors and gym bikes became entangled.
Murray was sin-binned from the bench and Queensland second-rower Jeremiah Nanai joined him, while NSW’s 19th man Haumole Olakau’atu was removed from the field after becoming involved.
Angus Crichton and Payne Haas were both brilliant for NSW in the early exchanges, while man-of-the-match Dylan Edwards capped a brilliant rookie series at the back.
Queensland’s halves Tom Dearden and Cherry-Evans were both particularly gutsy, regularly holding on for dear life in defence and saving several tries.
But ultimately the Blues were able to overpower the Maroons, locking in only their fifth series win in 19 years.
Queensland’s Harry Grant said the loss showed “you can’t slip up” in Origin, having felt their defence was “good for the majority” of the match.
“When you do the opposition takes chances,” he said.
“I think that was it tonight. I think we had a few opportunities, we defended well, they defended well. I missed a crucial tackle there (for the Moses try).”
The Maroons’ defeat could now signal a changing of the guard after Cherry-Evans said he would consider his representative future at the end of the season.
Ben Hunt, who will turn 35 at the start of next season, could also find himself on the outer after being dropped from the starting side for the decider.
– with AAP