NSW triumph in Origin I

The Wash up

NSW coach Laurie Daley: "They're always tough to win up here but I thought we were very brave tonight. In the second half we made it a bit tough on ourselves, but obviously we'll take a lot out of that game and be better in Game Two. I think we can get a lot better, but one thing I'm very proud of the guys is that we spoke about being physical and they went out and did that. We need to make sure that as well as being physical, we're going to have some energy when we get with the ball and I know this team will be a lot better in Game Two and Three. We'll enjoy the night, obviously, but know that Queensland will come back. We knew they'll come back in the second half, which they did, and, and we weren't anywhere near where we could be".

Maroons five-eighth Cameron Munster: "We just shot ourselves in the foot in the first half. We gave them too many opportunities and too many piggybacks, and we just defended for too long a period, so our footy, our attack, looked a bit scrappy there at times. That's probably something we need to be better with, but, yeah, it's pretty frustrating. We gave ourselves every chance, it's just in those moments and it's a couple of times we just weren't in sync. Defensively I thought the effort was there, we worked really hard for each other, but unfortunately when that happens and you don't execute or complete sets, it puts a lot of pressure on you. We've just got to be smarter. I feel like sometimes we played some dumb footy, and gave them too many opportunities. You are up against the best of the best and when you're giving them so much ball in the red zone, so it's frustrating what we dished up".

Blues debutant Max King: "I woke up this morning and I feel like it hit me ... but it was awesome to play with some of the game's greats and to win. Obviously, Nathan [Cleary] and [Isaah] Yeo from their success with Penrith, but for me playing along some of the game's greats in my position - Payne Haas, Mitch Barnett and Spencer [Leniu], coming off the bench with him. I think those blokes more so because I could sort of take a leaf out of their booklet and, I guess, increase my game a bit and take something back to clubland."

Man of the match: NSW prop Payne Haas is man-of-the-match. Haas ran 122m from 15 carries of the ball, produced three offloads and made 28 tackles without miss.

80 min: The Blues have won 18-6. It is the first time NSW have won back-to-back Origins since 1997-98.

78 min: Holmes crossed off a long pass from Dearden but the try was disallowed as the ball travelled forward.

77 min: The Maroons have a shot at keeping the game alive after receiving a penalty for Mitchell being offside when he touched the ball from an Edwards knock-on. 

74 min: Edwards has sealed the win after Cleary kicked for Lomax who threw the ball back for Watson, who produced a miracle offload for the fullback. Lomax took over the goalkicking duties but also missed the conversion. NSW 18 Queensland 6.

70 min: Errors are killing Queensland's hopes of a comeback, with Cherry-Evans and Fotuaika committing back-to-back handling mistakes.

Crowd: 52, 483 (57 short of record).

65 min: Connor Watson has been thrust into action for NSW in place of hooker Reece Robson. 

63 min: The Maroons have lost their captain's challenge after contesting a loose carry ruling after Holmes lost the ball in a tackle by Hudson Young. 

57 min: Queensland have forced a goal line drop out after Moses knocked the ball dead as Nanai chased a Munster kick.

52 min: The Maroons have made a double interchange, with Tom Dearden taking over the dummy half duties from Grant and Fa'asuamaleaui replacing Pat Carrigan. 

50 min: To'o returns after his stint in the sinbin and resumes his position on the left wing, with Lomax going back to the right edge.

49 min: NSW win a captain's challenge after Nanai stripped the ball from Mitchell with two other Queensland defenders involved in the tackle.

46 min: The Maroons are in after Jeremiah Nanai rushed out of the line to put a shot on Mitchell and force a turnover. The ball was shifted quickly to Toia, who threw a flick pass for Coates to cross in the corner. Holmes missed the conversion from the sideline. NSW 14 Queensland 6

45 min: Lomax lost the ball running out of his own end but the Blues recovered as Crichton, Cleary and drove Holmes over the sideline.

41 min: Zac Lomax has shifted from the right wing to the left wing for NSW in a bid to counter the height of Coates. To'o has will return 9.09m into the second half after Holmes took 51 sec to kick the penalty goal.

Halftime summary: NSW have dominated the first half, with their forwards making yardage through the middle and their outside backs capitalising on the creativity of halves Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses. Centres Latrell Mitchell and Stephen Cleary have been hard to handle for the Queensland defence, resulting in two tries to Zac Lomax on the right wing and one for left winger Brian To'o. When they have been able to get out of their own end, the Maroons best attacking options have been kicks to winger Xavier Coates, who has a significant height advantage over To'o. The ploy almost paid dividends on the stroke of halftime, with Coates losing the ball over the tryline and To'o sinbinned for a desperate mid-air tackle. The Blues will play the opening 10 minutes with a man down.  

40 min: The Blues will start the second half with 10 men after To'o was sinbinned for a mid-air tackle. Val Holmes landed the penalty goal. NSW 14 Queensland 2

40 min: Queensland were denied their best scoring chance on the last play of the first half as Xavier Coates leapt above To'o for a Cherry-Evans kick. 

36 min: Lomax has scored his second try after Dylan Edwards chimed into the backline to receive a pass from Cleary before shifting the ball to the Eels winger. Cleary missed again from the sideline. NSW 14-0.

36 min: Cherry-Evans has been penalised for lying in the ruck on the Maroons line. 

35 min: The Maroons are just hanging on, with Stephen Crichton running over the top of his Queensland opposite Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and earning a penalty for a leg pull.

30 min: Spencer Leniu is on for Payne Haas, who ran 86m from 11 carries, and the Queensland fans have let him know that he is public enemy No.1 at Suncorp Stadium. 

29 min: The Blues are in again, with To'o scoring in the corner after Cleary and Mitchell Moses combined on the left side of the ruck and Latrell Mitchell passed through the hands to the star winger. Cleary again missed the sideline conversion. NSW 10-0

26 min: Slater has gone to his bench for the first time, with Trent Loiero replacing Tino Fa'asuamaleau. 

25 min: Lomax has scored the first try of the series after Angus Crichton broke free in mid-field and the Blues shifted the ball to Stephen Crichton, who stepped inside Val Holmes and then passed outside to his winger. Cleary's conversion attempt hit the upright. NSW 6-0

20 min: Max King is on for Barnett, who ran 70 metres from eight carries of the ball.

17 min: NSW winger Brian To'o has spilled a Daly Cherry-Evans kick as momentum starts to turn in favour of the Maroons. 

9 min: Cleary has opened the scoring for the Blues with a penalty goal after Moeaki Fotuaika was penalised for stripping the ball from Barnett just metres out from the Maroons tryline. NSW 2-0

6 min: The Maroons have received their first penalty for Latrell Mitchell being too slow to get off the tackled player in the middle of the field.

4 min: Blues winger Zac Lomax caught a Nathan Cleary cross-field kick on the Maroons line but couldn't get a pass away and was then forced to field a towering Cameron Munster spiral bomb at the other end.

3 min: Patrick Carrigan has conceded the first penalty of the match for a facial on NSW fullback Dylan Edwards

0.01min: We have kick-off, with Blues prop Mitchell Barnett taking the first hit-up of the game.

The Blues have taken the field to deafening boos from the Brisbane crowd. Queensland enter to cheers. 

Pre-game build up

Maroons fans in the capacity crowd at Suncorp Stadium is being warmed up by a tribute to the 1995 team, Fatty's Nevilles, who won 3-0 against the odds.

Jimmy Barnes has delivered the State of Origin Shield, currently held by NSW after last year's historic series win following a first up loss in Sydney.

Queensland coach Billy Slater: "We had a pretty special night here in the dressing room last night for them and they get the chance to go out and inspire the next generation of Queenslanders".

NSW coach Laurie Daley: "We have got a lot of great talkers, a lot of great leaders, and that'll be invaluable tonight".

Stats that matter 

Age is just a number: Maroons captain Daly Cherry-Evans (36 years and 108 days) is the oldest player to appear in a State of Origin match.

Rookie Rob: Queensland centre Rob Toia (10 NRL matches) is the least experienced player to represent the Maroons since Ben Ikin in 1995.

The Graveyard: NSW have not won consecutive Origins at Suncorp Stadium since 1997-98.

Where to watch around the world

Late Mail

Queensland: Coach Billy Slater has handed Roosters rookie Robert Toia an Origin debut after Murray Taulagi suffered a calf injury, with Val Holmes shifting to the wing as a result. Cameron Munster and Daly Cherry-Evans will combine in the halves and Tom Dearden has been named the bench utility. Patrick Carrigan will line up at lock, with Tino Fa'asuamaleaui at prop in his Origin return. Reuben Cotter will play his first game since Round 9 in his return from suspension. Slater resisted making changes when the side was finalised before kick-off. Kurt Mann is the 18th man.

New South Wales: Isaah Yeo is set to become the 22nd player to lead the Blues after being named NSW skipper in a squad featuring four of his Panthers teammates. Halfback Nathan Cleary is preparing for his first Origin match since Game One 2023 and will partner Mitchell Moses in the halves. Brian To'o and Zac Lomax each did enough to prove their fitness and will line up on the wing, with Stephen Crichton and Latrell Mitchell in the centres. Bulldogs forward Max King is set for his State of Origin debut off the bench. No changes before kick-off with Campbell Graham the 18th man.