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Two late tries have given New South Wales a hard-fought 14-4 victory in the deciding game of the 2024 State of Origin series in Brisbane.
The victory is just the Blues' second series-deciding Game III win in Queensland and first since 2005.
It hands Michael Maguire a series win in his first campaign as Blues coach.
In a ferocious contest in front of 52,457 people at Lang Park, the Maroons led 4-2 as late as the 61st minute, before the Blues broke the game open with two tries in three minutes.
Bradman Best finished off a Jarome Luai line-break to score in the corner, then Mitch Moses split the Maroons defence as the Blues wrested the shield from the Maroons for the first time since 2021.
The tension before kick-off was palpable, both in the stands and in the bars around Lang Park, as the enormity of what this decider meant to both teams hit home.
The Maroons were looking for a third straight State of Origin series, with the Blues needing to overcome an inability to win a decider at Lang Park that stretched back 19 years.
In an early harbinger of the intensity this contest would be played at, Blues enforcer Angus Crichton was forced off with an HIA after collecting Reece Walsh's elbow in a tackle attempt.
Angus Crichton was forced off for an HIA in the opening minutes. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
He soon returned, flying into contact and sending defenders scattering with almost every carry in a performance that earned him the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series.
Queensland had been bullied in Game II in Melbourne, and they were intent not to let that happen in front of their raucous home support in Brisbane.
But with the stakes so high, and with Daly Cherry-Evans, Crichton and Liam Martin sniping at each other after every tackle, the game was always on the knife edge of exploding.
The Maroons and Blues came together plenty of times in the opening half-hour.(AAP Image: Darren England)
And the touch-paper was lit on the half-hour mark with an all-in brawl.
Bradman Best lost the ball after breaking through the Queensland line, with Cherry-Evans shoving Jarome Luai off the ball.
That was the signal for players to come from all angles, with even the New South Wales bench rushing down the line to join a rolling scrum that drifted right in front of the Maroons' reserves.
Cameron Murray, who was on the bench at the time, was sin binned for the Blues — Barnett the unfortunate on-field player to have to make way — as was the Maroons' Jeremiah Nanai.
Cameron Murray raced off the bench to get involved in the first-half brawl.(AAP Image: Dave Hunt)
From the Blues penalty, Walsh was perhaps fortunate to stay on the field after making contact with Stephen Crichton's head with his boot as the Blues centre dived for the line.
NSW relished the chance to put the Maroons under further pressure with some fearsome runs from bench prop Spencer Leniu, but the defence was inspirational from the home side and held firm.
In fact, for all the possession the Blues had — 57 per cent possession with 239 more running metres at the break — it was the Maroons who carried the slenderest of leads into half-time, Val Holmes converting after Leniu's blatant off-ball contact on Cherry-Evans in the final minute of the half.
If any further indication was needed on the intensity of the contest, the Blues opted to kick a penalty from the sideline soon after half-time.
Try-scoring opportunities were at a premium, as Zac Lomax's pin-point kick levelled the scores at 2-2.
Zac Lomax's 45th minute penalty provided the first points for the Blues.(AAP Image: Dave Hunt)
With such paucity of scoring chances, one has to question why Reece Robson felt the need to snag Harry Grant around the face, bang in the centre of the field, 10 metres out from his own line.
Holmes did not need to question it though, adding the points to edge the Maroons back in front.
There has not been a try-less Origin game since Queensland beat New South Wales 2-0 in Game I at the Sydney Football Stadium in 1995, and the Blues were not going to let it happen here.
Mitchell Moses scored the Blues' second try.(AAP Image: Dave Hunt)
It was Queensland's public enemy number one, Luai, who blew the game open, burning past Nanai, before releasing Best on his outside, who surged through recalled Newcastle teammates Dane Gagai and Kalyn Ponga to slam the ball down in the corner.
Minutes later it was Moses who parted the erstwhile impassable Maroons line with a piece of magic to blow to score out to 14-4 with 11 minutes remaining.
The Maroons, after being made to defend for so long, simply had nothing left in the tank, the Blues celebrating wildly after ending their long drought as the Maroons supporters rapidly exited Lang Park.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
And so ends an historic night in State of Origin history
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That was one of the most brutal games of rugby league I've ever seen and to see this team win it is no surprise.
The physicality and athleticism combined with skill and composure looks just about unbeatable when it clicks.
It's a credit to Queensland for hanging in there as long as they did in the face of a phenomenal Blues outfit, but at the end NSW's class won out.
Stopping them takes so much that at a certain point the dam is going to break. And that air of inevitability is something very few sides have ever achieved.
This team has it. The Maroons are stewing. Bring on 2025.
NSW coach Michael Maguire and captain Jake Trbojevic are in the hot seat
Blues coach Michael Maguire sounds out of breath as he fronts the media after some no doubt raucous celebrations.
"It was a pretty special moment I just had with the players. I've got a very special group of players."
He says this is just about the best defensive effort he's ever seen in Origin.
"It's up there, if not one of the best defensive performances. You look at the team Queensland have, they've got a lot of attacking weapons."
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Sounds like Maguire is still claiming the 'people's team' mantle, although I must say, the Blues fans were pretty loud once their team got on top tonight.
"We felt the people of NSW were really behind us. The players felt that and they realised they can do something special in that campaign."
Jake Trbojevic says this is the highlight of his career.
"Feels pretty cool. It's a real good life experience for us all. The way they went after the game today, really proud to be part of this side."
Maguire says Cam Murray getting involved in a fight off the bench shows how much he cares.
"When you look at that moment, Cam Murray is one of the nicest blokes in the game. He went down there because he cared for one of his teammates. It just goes to show what the group means to each other."
Here are the highlights from tonight's Origin decider
Blue-bilation
As we wait for the NSW brains trust, Trent Loiero is doing some sprints
The Melbourne Storm lock was 18th man tonight and he's getting through some work an hour after the game.
Credit to him, he's a damn hard worker and some time in this Origin camp will surely serve him well going forward.
Queenslanders lament not getting 'the rub of the green' in Origin III
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Maroons coach Billy Slater says he "couldn't be any more proud of the team".
"The team was defeated but it didn't feel like a loss. I felt defeated after Melbourne, I don't feel defeated now.
"We gave ourselves a chance tonight."
Cherry-Evans is gutted, but just as proud of his side.
"I don't think we could have given any more effort. We did our best tonight and it wasn't good enough. Right now that's hard to understand."
Even in the scrap.
"It just sort of boiled over. Just really proud of the way no-one hesitated to get in there. Feel I've got a lot of love and support from my teammates tonight. Really proud of that side of the game."
He says Cameron Murray should have been sent off for coming off the bench to get involved in that first-half brawl.
"Feel pretty clear that's pretty unacceptable at any level of footy That's just my opinion. That's footy. They've got to make a decision."
Both DCE and Slater say the Maroons didn't receive "the rub of the green" tonight.
"I'm sure the ref will review his own game, I'm sure the ref's boss will review his game."
Slater is also asked about potentially replacing the ailing Reece Walsh with Kalyn Ponga after Walsh was hobbled by some rough treatment.
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"He certainly was getting hit a fair bit without the footy.
"I've been out there, I know what it's like. I know what he's going through."
Slater is clearly not happy with the officiating tonight.
Quite deep in the presser he gives some credit to NSW.
"They're a good footy team, they've done a lot right.
"They're a good footy team. They hung in there too."
The new Blues
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The emotion on Zac Lomax's face really tells you something.
He was one of eight debutants for NSW in this victorious series, where the Blues were arguably the best team in all three games, despite being down the 12 men for almost the entirety of Game I.
Lomax was one of the Blues' best in all three games with brilliant carries from his own half and his constant presence as an aerial threat.
Dylan Edwards, another rookie, was player of the match tonight with a frankly outlandish 242 running metres and seven tackle breaks that has just become standard for him.
Mitch Barnett was powerful on debut tonight and Spencer Leniu was a breakout Origin star in his first series.
They also had a first-time captain in Jake Trbojevic and a first-time coach in Michael Maguire.
And hell, even the non-first-year players like Mitchell Moses, Reece Robson and Bradman Best, you can't count their caps on one hand.
This is the sort of series NSW can build on for the future, with a clear identity and the brilliance to back it up.
NSW skipper thanks his teammates for 'the best experience'
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I thought Jake Trbojevic was getting emotional while speaking, but I think he was just laughing at some of his teammates' antics.
The shy gentle big boy really is the odd man out in this team.
"This has been the best experience," he says, before welcoming the team up to lift the shield with him.
DCE wants Maroons to use this moment
Daly Cherry-Evans gets a reception to the stage that suggests A LOT of Queensland fans have cleared out of the stadium.
Gee, I hate booing players in situations like this.
"Too good tonight. It's been a cracking series," he says.
Cherry-Evans says "it wasn't our year" and tells his teammates to live in this moment and use it as fuel for next year.
Angus Crichton is named player of the series
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Remarkable from the Roosters back rower, who only made the team for Game I with a surge of form in the final couple of games leading up to selection.
There were plenty of candidates, Mitch Moses among them for sure, but no-one can argue with this.
"Boys, it's coming home!" he shouts into the microphone.
Pure joy for NSW
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The scenes of jubilation down on that surface tell you a lot about what this means to these Blues.
The first series win in three years, and in these circumstances ... they're leaping all over each other.
Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Dearden go over to them and make sure to congratulate them after their celebrations, but the Bluesare so caught up in the moment, only a couple even register their presence.
I've got to say, Jarome Luai, for all his garbage on the field, makes sure to walk with his kid into the pack of Queenslanders and spends a long time chatting to sparring partner Cherry-Evans, who has a little interaction with the young one.
These guys really leave it all on the field, in more ways than one.
NSW HAS WON BACK THE ORIGIN SHIELD!!
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The Blues have won the decider 14-4, and done it in enemy territory for the first time since 2005. Their just the third NSW side in history to come up to Queensland pull off a feat like this.
Not only that, they did it in the most gritty, hard-fought fashion. An absolutely awe-inspiring game of rugby league won by the better team.
This will be the first time since 2021 that they've lifted the shield.
80' This match is winding down
An injured Dylan Edwards walks into the line and Pat Carrigan and Kalyn Ponga, to their credit, don't take the opportunity to lay a shot on. Can't Reece Walsh would be afforded the same courtesy.
78' Jarome Luai loves being a villain
The crowd fires up after the no-penalty call, and Luai waves to his adoring haters.
78' Queensland tries a trick shot
The Maroons grubber through on the right for Selwyn Cobbo and he gets the most wicked bounce you can imagine.
Jarome Luai backs into Reece Walsh to take him out as he chases, but the bunker somehow rules it's not a penalty.
75' Penalty NSW. We're in the endgame now.
The Maroons take to the skies and Selwyn Cobbo arrives too late to challenge Dylan Edwards, taking him in the air. It wasn't dirty. He just arrived a millisecond too late.
74' Queensland's legs are gone
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow swoops on a loose ball and looks to have some grass in front of him, but he is just exhausted. He looks like he's made of lactic acid right now.
72' The Maroons live to fight another day
Stephen Crichton leaps high to take the short kick-off and flies 40 metres up field before being brought down by Reece Walsh.
The Blues are building and building in the Queensland red zone after two six agains, but eventually Connor Watson knocks on in heavy contact in front of the posts.
The sea parts for Moses!!
The ball comes left to Mitch Moses on the last and he plants his left foot, bursts through a tackle of Harry Grant and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, and steps past Reece Walsh to score.
That is surely the match-sealer.
68' Harry Grant gives away a ridiculous penalty
The Maroons need to be perfect now, and Harry Grant shoving Zac Lomax over after an already-dicey ruck is the opposite of that.
A piggyback upfield for the Blues.
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