THE ANALYSIS

Queensland lost their halfback after 15 minutes and still won. There is no doubt they were the better team. Fact two is that it is impossible to get sent off in a State of Origin game. Otherwise, Queensland second-rower Nate Myles would have been dismissed for his dangerous tackle on NSW prop Ben Cross eight minutes into the second half.

NSW took a leaf out of Queensland's book before the game by dropping named fullback Brett Stewart to the bench and starting with Kurt Gidley instead. The Maroons did the same thing before Origin II, when Billy Slater dropped onto the bench and Karmichael Hunt started.

Other chess moves involved forward switches from both teams, with Cross starting instead of Willie Mason for the Blues and Myles replacing Michael Crocker for the Maroons. Mason had been the player in the news without actually opening his mouth. There had been no shortage of critics prepared to give it to him for not doing enough in the second game, which presumably left Mason frothing at the mouth to get out there. So why not let him froth for a bit longer before letting him loose?

Understandable ploy. As it turned out, Mason came on in the 19th minute, but he didn't come up with the monster game many were tipping. He played OK.

The NSW selectors and coach Craig Bellamy put enormous pressure on 19-year-old halfback Mitchell Pearce by handing him his Origin debut in the white heat of a series decider. Whether he is the next big thing or not, it was asking a lot of him to go out and dominate in a football furnace like that.

There was a good argument for going with a more experienced halfback. What about Brett Finch, who had proved his ability to come into the Blues team for a one-off game and be a success? Or the in-form Brett Kimmorley? Forget the intercept pass that cost NSW game one in 2005 - Kimmorley is a last-start winner at this level, in game three of last year's series. Pearce tried hard. He was steady.

But while NSW had provided the big halfback story before the game, Queensland trumped it for drama with what happened to Scott Prince during it. Prince was running off the field with a broken left arm while the Blues were scoring their first try, in the 15th minute.

That development had the potential to decide the game in favour of NSW there and then, if Queensland were prepared to let it. Prince's addition to the team for the second game of the series had unlocked its attack. They had been stagnant in the first game, when Hunt was asked to play out of position at five-eighth, but Prince at halfback freed up Thurston at pivot and the Maroons rolled into gear.

Now, the Maroons were back to square one, with Hunt forced to switch to five-eighth and Thurston to halfback. Would Queensland's attack shrink as a result, or would the Maroons adapt better than they had in the first game? They adapted far better, with the fact the ground was drier and the speed of the play-the-ball quicker than in game one contributing factors.

NSW played a solid game. They worked quickly through their sets and built up some good field position. They created opportunities and put themselves in try-scoring positions, but once the game tightened up, it was Queensland who looked more likely to score the potentially matchwinning try by doing something dynamic.

Winger Israel Folau had it in him, and so did centre Greg Inglis. And so, in the end, did Thurston and Slater.

A Thurston break and a Slater support act and the series was decided. This Maroons team is a special one and they got what they deserved.

Unfortunately for Blues hooker Danny Buderus, he didn't get what he deserved. If ever a player deserved to finish his Origin career as a winner, it was the NSW hooker and captain.

But, as we all know, Origin doesn't play favourites.