NSW 18 Queensland 10
WHEN it came, it came late, in the 68th minute with Anthony Laffranchi frolicking in the autumn mist of ANZ Stadium to bury the matchwinning try.
But the hard work, you sense, that delivered the Blues their emphatic 18-10 triumph over Queensland last night had come weeks and months in advance: in the brain of coach Craig Bellamy; the heart of captain Danny Buderus; and the freaky intuition of Andrew Johns.
It seemed only yesterday when Johns had masterminded that victory in game two of the 2005 to resurrect NSW, who went on to claim the Origin shield.
Last night, rookie halfback Peter Wallace played a quintessential playmaker's role to steer this Blues side to a result that also resurrected his state in the face of consecutive series losses. Pride restored. Opening set to NSW. Game on for the remainder of the series. It's a big, blue, beautiful thing.
"We got what we wanted out of him tonight," Buderus said.
Wallace said: "He [Johns] has taught me stuff this week that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It's awesome."
NSW assumed the ascendancy as early as the fourth minute when winger Anthony Quinn scored the first of two tries. They were never seriously headed after leading 14-4 at half-time. While the Queenslanders had bemoaned Bellamy's presence - and that of Storm wrestling coach John Donehue - last night his influence was clearly evident. So, too, Johns, who has brought the same wired vibe to the NSW camp in the past 10 days as he did a player.
According to the hype, this match was sure to resemble a WWE wrestling match. Certainly, one NSW supporter had brought his theatrics the night before when he graffitied "GO NSW" on the Maroons team bus outside the visitor's Parramatta hotel.
Yet it was evident, as it always is in the Origin arena, that opportunity hangs on every play, every ruck.
But even the broken old NSW Team of the Century who had been paraded before the crowd ahead of the match and had seen it all before must have been shocked when Quinn scored in just the third set.
Greg Bird's not a ballplayer? His cut-out pass to second-rower Ryan Hoffman rocked the defence from its bearings; Brett Stewart's effort in reeling in Hoffman's subsequent pass was spectacular; Quinn's try in corner merely struck a chord that echoed for the remainder of the match.
That's not to say that Queensland five-eighth Karmichael Hunt wasn't trying to resonate himself.
Hunt's three hits on Hoffman - and we implore you to say that after a dozen XXXX - would've brought a tear to Arty's eye. The third brought blood to Hoffman's nose.
But every bullet Hunt fired in defence meant he had one less in attack.
Johnathan Thurston needed the help because he was loading up but delivering little, something in stark contrast to the past two series which have heralded his arrival as the game's best player.
Cam Smith was quiet. Was Greg Inglis out there? Israel Folau was, leaping high and latching onto a towering bomb from Wallace, before being driven back into the the in-goal.
From the next set, Wallace put it on the laces again and found Quinn, who planted the ball for this second. Suddenly, NSW - the vanquished from the last two series and friendless with the punters, were leading 10-0. The scoreline was appreciated but it belied where NSW had started to win this: through boa constrictor suffocation. Storm-like, if you are thinking it.
It frustrated and confused Queensland - so they resorted to banter. When prop Petero Civoniceva smashed Blues hardman Paul Gallen in a tackle, a Maroons player was heard to say: "Get up you weak, c---."
When Stewart scored in the 35th minute after some footwork from centre Mark Gasnier that would've had his Immortalised uncle Reg grinning, NSW had taken a 14-0 lead.
In classic Queensland fashion, they scored on the stroke of half-time. Replays showed Brent Tate had scored by a fingertip. They hung on by as much in the second half.
And it's early … but you sense that's the tenuous grip Queensland has on its State of Origin dominance.
NSW 18 (A Quinn 2 B Stewart A Laffranchi tries C Fitzgibbon goal) bt QUEENSLAND 10 (B Tate I Folau tries J Thurston goal) at ANZ Stadium. Referee: T Archer. Crowd: 67,620.
