Laurie Daley's Blues have stormed to a dramatic State of Origin series victory over Queensland with a huge triumph at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Nathan Cleary scored two first-half tries on his own and Cam Murray added a third to stun the Maroons, with the hosts never able to get back into the contest after failing to convert any of their three tries — while a late comeback was shelved when another try was ruled out for offside.
Key Moments and Controversies
NSW lost James Tedesco to concussion just before half-time while a controversial Bunker decision went the Blues' way for a crucial try in the 56th minute. Bradman Best ran the length of the field to score after the ball spilled out on the NSW try line following an aerial challenge on a Queensland kick.
Replays suggested Blues debutant Jack Bostock got a touch in the air but the Bunker, operating out of a television truck outside Suncorp after Telstra outages wiped out the system at NRL HQ, found otherwise.
Reactions to the Bunker Decision
“Are they saying the touch off Bostock’s gone backwards? That’s gone forward. Wow. We can’t get that wrong,” Cameron Smith said in commentary on Nine. “I just can’t get over this call by the Bunker. It was a clear touch by Bostock at a crucial time. We just can’t get those wrong. We cannot get them wrong, not in games like this.”
Brad Fittler then reported sideline officials informed him vision from the corner post revealed Bostock did not touch the ball.
NSW Dominance and Series Victory
Regardless of the controversy, NSW were the far better team on the night and deserved the victory. The performance marked a significant turnaround from Origin II, not only saving Daley’s career but ending his horror record in deciders.
“They’ve just been too good,” Smith said. “The intensity, the urgency in which they’ve played and every part of the game, particularly with their defence early on, they put so much pressure on Queensland.”
