Queensland are State of Origin champions for the third straight year after beating New South Wales 16-10 in last night's sensational series decider at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium, despite losing Scott Prince to a broken arm.
In a terrific finale to the series, the Maroons came out on top to deny NSW captain Danny Buderus a series win in his final game in Blues colours.
The game had everything – end to end action, gritty defence, injuries, brawls – before Queensland skipper Cameron Smith won the right to lift the State of Origin shield for the first time.
"We said at half-time we just need to stick with the game plan and that's what we did," said Queensland's Johnathan Thurston.
"It was physical, mentally, it was very draining, but it was sweet at the end of it. It's the Queensland spirit in the end."
New South Wales led 10-8 at the end of the first half despite a first-half double to Queensland’s Israel Folau, with Matt Cooper scoring a try and Craig Fitzgibbon kicking three goals.
But a second-half try to Billy Slater swung the momentum the Maroons’ way, and the Blues couldn't breach the Queensland defence to get back into the contest.
In rugby league’s ultimate battle of nerves, it looked like the Maroons blinked first when Karmichael Hunt spilled a pass on his own 30-metre line to give NSW a great attacking opportunity.
The Maroons gave away the game’s first penalty with a high shot from Petero Civoniceva – and then all hell broke loose.
It was suddenly an Origin game of old, with players from both teams swarming in, ready to throw punches after Kurt Gidley – a late inclusion into the starting lineup – shoved Civoniceva.
In fact, there was little more than a few pushes and shoves between the teams before Fitzgibbon slotted the penalty goal, but the 80,000-strong Sydney crowd was thrilled by the prospect of a fiery Origin clash.
But that excitement quickly turned to despair as Blues winger Anthony Quinn – such a rock solid performer in game one – dropped a simple bomb to allow Folau to score in right corner.
Thurston’s conversion attempt went wide, and the Maroons led 4-2 after five minutes.
Gidley was heavily involved in the early stages and he created the Blues’ first try, taking the ball to the line before getting an offload away to send Matt Cooper crashing over out wide.
Fitzgibbon added the extras from the sideline to give the home side a four-point buffer.
There was worse news for the Queenslanders, with Prince ruled out of the match after just 15 minutes with a suspected fractured arm.
Thurston took over the playmaking duties and soon laid on Folau’s second try with a pinpoint bomb, with the Melbourne Storm whizkid making an incredible leap over Quinn to snatch the bomb before stretching backwards in order to slam the ball down.
It was a stunning try, leveling the scores at 8-8, and that’s where the scoreline stayed after Thurston missed his second conversion.
Ftizgibbon restored NSW’s lead with another penalty goal after a surging 25-metre run from outgoing captain Buderus.
Queensland has one final raid in the half, sending the ball through the hands down the left for Darius Boyd to run clear, but Boyd’s scrappy final pass infield went to ground just out of reach of Hunt.
Blues enforcer Paul Gallen gave away a needless penalty after the halftime break by taking out Thurston late – and the world’s best halfback finally got a goal attempt on target (from right in front) to level the scores.
The teams came to blows – for real this time – after Nate Myles speared Ben Cross into the turf head first. After the scrap faded, Myles was put on report by referee Tony Archer before immediately being benched by Mal Meninga.
Michael Crocker joined Prince on the bench after taking the full force of a Mitchell Pearce bomb to the face – the ball crashing into Crocker’s ear and leaving the Melbourne enforcer dazed.
The Maroons may have been losing players but the ones they had left were getting the job done, with Thurston splitting the NSW defence before sending a flying Billy Slater in to score the visitors’ third.
The Blues continued to bombard the Queensland line but Pearce couldn’t find the last-tackle play to unlock the Maroons defence.
NSW had one last throw of the dice in the final minute, with a full set inside Queensland’s 20 metres, but when Archer called a Braith Anasta pass forward the game slipped out of their grasp.
There would be no fairytale finish for Buderus, with Queensland running out Origin champions for the third successive year.
Queensland 16
Tries: Folau 2, Slater
Goals: Thurston 2
New South Wales 10
Tries: Cooper
Goals: Fitzgibbon 3
