Blues win Origin and bring the shield home
Two late tries to the Westpac NSW Blues after neither side could find the line for three quarters of the match, handed NSW their third win over Queensland in a decider at Suncorp Stadium in 40 years.
Centre Bradman Best crossed in the 61st minute after a 30-metre break from five-eighth Jarome Luai, followed by a stepping, weaving halfback in Mitch Moses placing the ball to the right of the posts.
Zac Lomax obliged with two conversions putting the Blues 10 points ahead after they trailed 4-2 with all the points scored via penalty goals.
Combined with the 38-18 win at the MCG in Game Two three weeks ago, NSW won the 2024 Ampol State of Origin series 2-1, reclaiming the shield for the first time since 2021.
Tonight in Game Three both sides were out on their feet as the fulltime siren sounded, but then the significance of the Blues’ win began to sink in as they hugged each other in centre field.
There have been 13 deciders at Suncorp since Origin became a series in 1983. The Blues have now won just their third – 1994, 2005, 2024. Queensland had won nine of the past 10 deciders in Brisbane before tonight.
From the first State of Origin in 1980 – held at Lang Park (now Suncorp) – NSW has played 60 matches but won just 21 with tonight’s victory proving how hard it is to get over the top of the Maroons before their home crowd.
Player of the Match was Blues fullback Dylan Edwards in his debut Origin series. He made 27 runs for 242 metres, including 107 kick-return metres, and broke out of seven tackles.
Back-rower Angus Crichton, who had to pass a HIA to continue in the first half, won the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the 2024 series.
He said it was a determined Blues outfit this year.
“That was what we’ve been chasing. It was such an amazing feeling at the end there,” Crichton told Channel Nine.
“Or course we felt the pressure… but we worked so bloody hard and tonight we did something special.”
Maroons coach Billy Slater made four changes to his starting 13 an hour before kick-off – all the reshuffling among the forwards with a new-look front row of Moeaki Fotuaika and Felise Kaufusi replacing Reuben Cotter and Lindsay Collins as starting props. Hooker Ben Hunt also went to the bench allowing Harry Grant to be the run-on No.9.
The 2-0 score at the break proved it was nothing short of a typical grinding Origin match for 39 minutes of the first half, with a few melees thrown in for good measure.
One of the fracases spilled over the sideline and into the Queensland players’ bench on the 30th minute, when Luai and Daly Cherry-Evans traded a few pushes.
Referee Ashley Klein sent two players to the sin bin – back-rowers Jeremiah Nanai (Maroons) and Cameron Murray (Blues).
NSW had the greater field position and 60 per cent possession in the opening 40 minutes but could not translate that into points. Centre Stephen Crichton lost the ball over the line in the 32nd minute, which ended with Reece Walsh being placed on report for leading with his boot in the tackle.
That was one of five penalties against the Maroons, compared with two for the Blues, but despite more tackle breaks, offloads, and post-contact metres it was Queensland in the lead as they headed to the sheds.
Four minutes into the second half and a Lomax penalty from the western sideline levelled the scores 2-2.
The arm wrestle continued for another 20 minutes before a penalty against Blues hooker Reece Robson for a high tackle on Harry Grant, gave Holmes another easy kick from in front.
Queensland led 4-2 and most of the 52,457 capacity crowd were wondering if they would see a four-pointer for the evening.
But seemingly on cue Luai broke the line, got around Dane Gagai, before getting the pass to Best down the outside to place it in the left corner. Lomax landed another sideline conversion for the Blues to take the lead for the first time in the 64th minute.
However, Maguire’s men were not done yet. The fine individual try from Moses gave Lomax’s easiest kick of the night and the final 14-4 result.