Daly Cherry-Evans of the Maroons celebrates with the shield after winning game three of the State of Origin Series between the Queensland and NSW last night. Photo / Getty
Daly Cherry-Evans of the Maroons celebrates with the shield after winning game three of the State of Origin Series between the Queensland and NSW last night. Photo / Getty
Queensland has done it again.
The State of Origin shield is returning north of the border after the Maroons prevailed in one of the greatest rugby league matches ever seen in the series decider at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.
The 22-12 scoreline would never have been close enough to reflect how tight the game actually was.
From head injuries inside the opening three and a half minutes that left the Maroons down two players and Blues down a man, frantic attack, brutal tackles, an all-in brawl that left two men in the bin and some of the most miraculous moments you'll ever see on a rugby league field, the game had it all.
Incredibly, the Maroons sealed the victory despite being without superstar Cameron Munster when hooker Ben Hunt plucked a Nathan Cleary chip kick out of the air in the 79th minute and ran away to score the match sealing try.
"What a moment in Origin history," Nine commentator Mat Thompson said.
"Ben Hunt has raced away. And he might have raced away with the shield as well."
Maroons assistant coach and Queensland legend Cameron Smith screamed: "What an effort it has been by this Queensland Maroons outfit. And listen to the crowd at Suncorp Stadium.
"They have done it the hard way. They have lost players. But this is one of the most famous Maroons victories you'll ever see."
After the game, Hunt said when he caught the ball, he was "pretty happy there was only a forward chasing me".
"As soon as I caught it you could just hear them (the crowd) roar," Hunt said.
"As a rugby league player there is nothing better, honestly. As a true Queenslander, I bloody love our fans and they turn up every year for us."
It was far from the only moment of brilliance, as Valentine Holmes almost saved the game late in the match when he somehow kept the ball from going over the sideline from a short Blues dropout - which would have handed the ball to NSW - going airborne over the sideline.
Josh Papalii of the Maroons is tackled during game three of the State of Origin Series between the Maroons and the Blues at Suncorp Stadium last night. Photo / Getty
"I'm not sure we have ever seen anything like it," Thompson said of the moment in commentary.
From the opening minute to the 80th, it was an utterly remarkable match which had the sold out Suncorp Stadium crowd on their feet.
Nine commentator Mat Thompson said: "This is a game from another planet, tonight."
AAP's Fraser Barton tweeted: "This is the greatest game of all time".
NSW cricketer Trent Copeland wrote: "Has to be one of the greatest Origin decider's ever.
"Hurts that it's Queensland with the W, but my goodness Val keeping the short dropout in, Ponga's game in general & Ben Hunt's 40/20 & try to seal it. Just. Immense. Well played both sides!"
CODE Sports' Lachlan McKirdy said: "Hurts as a Blue, but that was one of the best matches of rugby league I've ever seen. Incredible footy."
Damian Cook of the Blues looks on after game three of the State of Origin Series which the Blues lost. Photo / Getty
In a brilliant debut series, Pat Carrigan won the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series, making 45 tackles, and 20 runs for 130m as well as three offloads in the decider.
It goes alongside 34 tackles and 19 runs for 183m in game one and 43 tackles and 12 runs for 103m in game two in Perth.
The first half got off to a wild start when the Blues' Cameron Murray was left dazed by a head clash just a minute into the game, but was quickly followed by Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins - the three stars played no further part in the game.
Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai sparked controversy when he stood over the top of Cobbo in scenes branded "disgusting".
The early carnage had the Channel 9 commentary team stunned with Andrew Johns declaring the match has been a "throwback to the eighties". Maroons legend Cameron Smith said it was "all-out warfare" after Lindsay Collins became the third player to be flattened from a head knock. The most scary moment came when Queensland's Selwyn Cobbo was smashed onto his back and was then seen lying motionless as players stomped around him.
But after a wild and brutal first half, the Blues lead the match 12-10 at the break.
The second half kicked off with a bang, boiling over when Dane Gagai and Matt Burton were both sent to the sin bin.
Burton was seen taking out Maroons superstar Kalyn Ponga behind play before Gagai ran in and started throwing punches, prompting a heated brawl.
Queensland took control of the match in the second half and finally took the lead through a stunning piece of footwork by Kalyn Ponga, who ran for 299m in his greatest Origin performance.
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