It was the enduring image to come out of the victorious Queensland sheds as the country music blared, the Fourex flowed and many a good yarn was told.

Josh Papalii, the Maroons warhorse and most-capped player in Billy Slater's squad, sat with his arm around rookies Patrick Carrigan and Reuben Cotter, looking like a proud father who'd seen his sons grow up. The message was clear — welcome to the club, my boys, you're one of us now.

Every Origin debut is special, and it's often the culmination of a rugby league lifetime. Some players go on to be legends while others aren't so lucky, but each of them has his own place in Origin history.

With Game I done and dusted and seven more players joining the brotherhood, here's how each of the rookies fared in Queensland's win at Stadium Australia.

7. Stephen Crichton (NSW)

The question with Crichton was always how exactly Brad Fittler was going to fit him into the side, if he could fit him in at all.

In the end, Kotoni Staggs's corked shoulder meant Crichton got to play in his customary position of right-centre for the final 28 minutes.

He did not play poorly but lacked opportunity, seeing precious little ball as the Blues scrambled for a winner.

6. Jeremiah Nanai (Queensland)

It was a wild old night for Nanai, who looked set for big minutes following an injury to Xavier Coates before going down with what seemed to be a serious ankle injury of his own.

The Cowboys backrower returned to the match later on and held his own but didn't stand out – he finished with just two runs for 17 metres but did make 18 tackles and it was defensively where he did his best work with a couple of nice kick pressures on Nathan Cleary and a big shot on Ryan Matterson on return. 

5. Kotoni Staggs (NSW)

Staggs is less of a workhorse as a centre and more of a strike weapon, so he can be reliant on the service he receives from his inside men.

He busted a couple of tackles and looked likely at times, but just didn't get enough clean ball to really impose himself on the match.

A corked shoulder ended his night early, but he's likely to hold his spot for Perth.

4. Ryan Matterson (NSW)

The Queensland bench got the better of their Blues counterparts, but Matterson did what he could in his 36 minutes, finishing with 77 metres and 26 tackles.

The Eels forward is a big unit and runs the ball well, but what makes him special is his ability to pass and offload and that's something that didn't quite translate to the representative stage – he only threw one pass and didn't offload at all.

It's possible, with Isaah Yeo and Cameron Murray on the field, Matterson's role was to operate exclusively as a runner but if he was deployed in such a role it wouldn't play to his strengths.

3. Selwyn Cobbo (Queensland)

Cobbo's rise has been meteoric and as well as he's played for Brisbane in recent weeks it was fair to ask if he was pitched into the Origin arena too early.

But Cobbo rose to the occasion, getting through heaps of work from his own end as he churned out 183 metres as well as providing a special touch with his kick for Dane Gagai's try.

If there was a time for New South Wales to get at Cobbo it was now, in his first game. In their inability to do so, they've created a monster because Cobbo will only improve from here and he's already produced a fine Origin performance.

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2. Reuben Cotter (Queensland)

Queensland got the exact same Reuben Cotter the Cowboys get each and every week, and you can't ask for more than that.

The numbers speak for themselves – 12 runs for 134 metres, 51 tackles and 80 minutes played. It was the kind of performance plenty of the other unheralded Maroons heroes, like Dallas Johnson or Michael Crocker, would have been proud to call their own. 

Coach Billy Slater said after the match he was impressed, but that what Cotter produced was exactly what he expected from the North Queenslander — heady praise for any player and especially a rookie.

"I like to keep it pretty simple. It's something the coaching staff told me all week, just to play my game. I don't need to do anything special, I just need to play my strengths and play my game," Cotter said.

"It's very special to hear those words from Bill. When you pull on that jersey, what this team and what this state expects from you is always at the forefront of your mind. I love this jersey. I love this state.

"It was everything I expected and more. Running out to a packed ANZ Stadium was an amazing feeling, maybe the best feeling I've ever felt."

1. Patrick Carrigan (Queensland)

The last player to come off the bench and win man of the match was Blues prop Luke Bailey back in the 2003 series opener. The last time it happened before that was when Steve Menzies grabbed it in Game III of the 1996 series. Were it not for Cameron Munster doing his best impression of a peroxide blond, Maroon-clad messiah, Patrick Carrigan probably would have done the same.

It was a debut for the ages for Carrigan, who helped turn the tide in the Queenslander's favour once he came on the field after the opening quarter.

His speed with the ball and his aggression as a defender lifted the tempo to a level the Blues struggled to match. Carrigan has enjoyed a strong season for Brisbane, but this is the best game he's ever played at the senior level.

His 19 runs were the most of any Queensland forward and his 183 metres were the most of any Maroon other than Munster.

Plenty of players have played plenty more games and had less of an impact than Carrigan did in his maiden voyage. There can be no higher praise.