Ben Hunt has scored a runaway try in the dying minutes as Queensland claimed the State of the Origin series in dramatic fashion with a famous 22-12 victory over New South Wales at Lang Park.
Hunt's try in the 79th minute — after he plucked a Nathan Cleary chip kick out of the air and ran 70 metres — clinched the win for the Maroons in a thrilling encounter.
They were forced to use just 15 players for much of the match after losing Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins to concussion in the opening few minutes.
Billy Slater's team was also without Cameron Munster and Murray Taulagi after they withdrew in the build-up to the match because of COVID-19, but no challenge was too large to overcome as they collected a 23rd series triumph.
The match got off to a brutal start, with three players failing head injury assessments following the opening defensive exchanges.
Blues second rower Cameron Murray was the first to leave the field after just a minute of play when he was concussed attempting to tackle Corey Oates, before Cobbo and Collins were also forced off with concussions.
As the two sides looked to settle into their patterns after the physically taxing beginning, it was the Maroons who crossed for the first try of the match when debutant Tom Dearden found Valentine Holmes with a brilliant flat ball in the 13th minute.
The Maroons led 6-0 after Holmes's conversion, but the Blues levelled the score six minutes later when Jarome Luai scored and Cleary converted.
Just past the half-hour mark, the Blues took the lead when Api Koroisau scooted out of dummy half close to the Maroons' line and found a steaming Jacob Saifiti — making his State of Origin debut — on the burst to score under the posts.
Cleary added the extras for a 12-6 lead but the Maroons replied with just seconds remaining in the first half when Kurt Capewell scored from a Harry Grant grubber into the in-goal area.
With the conversion unsuccessful, the Blues held a two-point lead going into the second half, which got underway in heated circumstances when a melee broke out following an altercation between the Maroons' Dane Gagai and the Blues' Matt Burton.
Gagai and Burton were sent to the sin-bin before returning to the field in the 52nd minute at a point of the match when both sides were beginning to show signs of fatigue.
It was the Maroons who lifted their effort midway through the half via a Kalyn Ponga try, his dazzling footwork too much for the Blues as they desperately defended their line.
Holmes's conversion put the Maroons 16-12 head, before Hunt's try in the shadows of full-time sealed an epic win for the home side.
Look back at how the action unfolded in our blog.
Key events
- THE MAROONS REGAIN THE SHIELD WITH THE MOST AMAZING WIN
- 70th minute: Val Holmes saves the day!
- 69th minute: GRANT GOES OVER FOR A TRY! Or does he?
- 60th minute
- 58th minute: Ben Hunt kicks a 40/20
- 41st minute: No try, but a FIGHT to start the second half!
- HALF-TIME: NSW leads 12-10
- Teams are in and Tom Dearden will start for Queeensland
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Live updates
By Jon Healy
Another spectacular Origin series in the books
The Maroons have pulled off a remarkable series victory, which will go down as one of the most famous in their history.
Let it not be forgotten that the Blues also lost Cam Murray in the first minute and didn't have Latrell Mitchell or Tom Trbojevic available at any point.
But this is about Queensland right now, and my lord, that game was stunning.
From the speed, to the injuries, to the animosity, to the skill, to the determination ... wall-to-wall brilliant to watch.
Congratulation to Billy Slater, Daly Cherry-Evans and the whole Queensland set-up, but most importantly, our lord and saviour Benjamin Hunt Esquire.
What a series, and what a night.
See you next time!
By Jon Healy
Billy Slater: Rookie coach sensation
Never coached before and now he's an Origin-series-winning coach.
Slater says he is "just so proud" of his players for knuckling down. He says after the injuries to Cobbo and Collins in the opening minutes, the Maroons only used one interchange that wasn't forced.
Slater speaks about the support crew he had around him
"I tell you one thing, I don't look at myself any higher than anyone else in our whole group. What [Cameron Smith] has done for this group is just as much as anyone else. Josh Hannay has been fantastic, Johnathan Thurston, Nate Myles and Allan Langer. The whole crew are just amazing. I don't know what to say. It is a great feeling."
He says he didn't have any concerns about Dearden's ability to step up.
"He brings different strengths and he has been involved in all three camps. We had Reuben Cotter go down and Xavier Coates. It is great to have those do guys here. Felise Kaufusi came back from the states today, his old man is not real well and I phoned him before we got on the bus. It is a great group of players and they really earnt this victory."
By Jon Healy
Kalyn Ponga points out he's never won an Origin series
"I am super proud of the coaches and support staff. Proud of myself to be honest as well. This is my first series win. It is a pretty surreal feeling," he tells Channel Nine.
Ponga says it was important the team had a mentality to just get on with it when they faced adversity.
"Obviously it is sad to see the two players out of the team. I feel like the Queensland mentality is that we get on with things. That is our mentality. Once that happens, get on with it. We had full faith in the boys who stepped in, and Tom Dearden was awesome tonight."
And on the once-maligned Queensland skipper, Daly Cherry-Evans.
"Throughout the series he has been great. I enjoy being in camp with Chezza."
By Jon Healy
Pat Carrigan wins player of the series
He clearly wasn't listening, because he had to be shoved on stage, but this is incredibly well deserved for this rookie.
This guy has had some serious injuries and was barely making the Broncos 13 not long ago. Now he's here. Although he says James Tedesco or Kalyn Ponga deserved the medal. You could make an argument for it, but let's agree to disagree, Patty.
A future captain for sure.
By Jon Healy
How did that happen?
So how did the team that was given no hope win that game?
Firstly, every Queenslander stepped up in that one. You expect it from Daly Cherry-Evans and Ben Hunt, but debutant Tom Dearden and 19-year-old Jeremiah Nanai were two of Queensland's best tonight. Pat Carrigan played another blinder, and Kalyn Ponga was typically electric at the back.
And the tactics in the second half were spot on. The guts to kick early, avoiding the Tedesco, To'o and Tupou kick returns, but also telling the defence to just get it done ... amazing.
They were also aided by a NSW side that couldn't find their rhythm in attack, aside for a stretch in the first half. Their ball handling was really sloppy and they gave away a couple of silly penalties.
By Jon Healy
THE MAROONS REGAIN THE SHIELD WITH THE MOST AMAZING WIN
Cotter, Coates, Kaufusi, Munster, Taulagi, Cobbo, Collins ... all gone, and the Maroons have somehow pulled this off. I actually can't believe the game we just witnessed.
"When I caught it I was looking early I was pretty happy there was only a forward chasing me," Ben Hunt tells Channel Nine of that try, which will go down in history as one of the all time greats.
A classic decider for sure, played at a breakneck pace between two exhausted teams that simply refused to give in.
By Jon Healy
80th minute: Maroons desperate to hang on
Holmes catches the ball and the Maroons will run out the final minute with their 22-12 lead.
They've done it!
By Jon Healy
BEN HUNT HAS SCORED AN ABSOLUTE MIRACLE OF A TRY!!!!
Cleary tried the chip over the top and Ben Hunt has somehow caught it cleanly from literally a metre away.
He was leaping to try to charge it down and somehow caught the ball.
Then he had the small matter of running 70 METRES to score the series-winning try. And he did it, outpacing Isaah Yeo.
That is a man, who is perhaps most infamously remembered for 'dropping a grand final'. And now he's done that. What a play.
By Jon Healy
77th minute
Gagai takes a wobbling bomb from Cleary with ease.
No forwards pushing up in support when the halves get the ball going forward.
Cherry-Evans kicks in behind Tupou again.
By Jon Healy
75th minute
Ponga tries to manufacture some magic down the left, running it on the last, but the final pass is behind Oates and he knocks on out wide.
The Blues go with the inside play to Tedesco through the middle, but Nanai makes a superb tackle.
Another double kick! This time a Cleary bomb followed by Trbojevic's grubber, cleaned up by Dearden. The dream debut continues.
By Jon Healy
73rd minute
Dearden makes a superb tackle one-on-one against Tedesco, making sure to wrap the ball up.
Ponga fields the Luai kick on his 20m line and sends Gagai back up-field.
By Jon Healy
72nd minute
The Maroons try a kick for Nanai, but Capewell knocks on in the air.
Nanai touched down and celebrated like he'd won the series, but the knock-on was incredibly obvious.
By Jon Healy
71st minute
Cleary kicks off his 10m line, but it bounces back to Burton, who kicks again, then Corey Oates somehow beats the first defender and makes great metres.
By Jon Healy
70th minute: Val Holmes saves the day!
Cleary drilled a low dropout at the touch line, and Holmes came up with a miraculous diving save to give the Maroons the ball.
But they can't do anything with it in attack.
By Jon Healy
69th minute: GRANT GOES OVER FOR A TRY! Or does he?
It was sent up as a try, but there were a lot of bodies. I can't imagine there'll be a conclusive replay.
There is though. Nathan Cleary saves the day.
Oh, Talakai knocked it on cold in a Capewell and Carrigan tackle by the way.
Burton flies highest for a Cherry-Evans kick, but they've forced a dropout.
By Jon Healy
68th minute
The Maroons scramble on the last and DCE's grubber bounces kindly for To'o.
TALAKAI KNOCKS ON COMING OFF HIS LINE! The Blues are appealing for a strip, but there's no break in play.
By Jon Healy
66th minute
Sifa Talakai has knocked on in playing the ball. Looked like he was trying to milk a penalty, but Ashley Klein didn't bite.
And then the Blues are pinged for dissent. Penalty. Looked like Tedesco was the only one talking to him, but someone may have shouted out.
And Kurt Capewell is bleeding badly from the nose after a head clash with Talakai.
By Jon Healy
65th minute
More pressure from Hunt, who definitely wasn't square at marker, on Cleary. And Holmes comes down with the ball.
DCE KICKS ON TACKLE TWO! Clearly fed up with Tedesco getting on the runway. But backing the defence like this this far out is either gutsy or moronic. I'll let you know in a few minutes.
By Jon Healy
64th minute
The first Maroons set after points only gets them to their own 40m line.
Tedesco charges back to his 30.
Brian To'o and Daniel Tupou back him up. These runs are about more than metres — it's about giving thee forwards a break.
By Jon Healy
KALYN PONGA SCORES HIS FIRST ORIGIN TRY!!
And what a time to do it!
He's looked dangerous all night, threatening to break through with every run, and this time he froze the defence with a right-foot step inside Jarome Luai, past Sifa Talakai, and then past Tedesco to touch down.
Stunning footwork. And he had to take it on himself, because Queensland's set plays weren't doing anything to the Blues' defence.
Holmes converts. Maroons lead 16-12 inside the final 20 minutes.
