Queensland 52 – 6 New South Wales
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FULLTIME
It's all over as the siren goes! Queensland have a penalty but Cam Smith opts to end the game by kicking it out. All over! What a hiding.79 Mins: Nice. Hodges to take the k9ick to end his Origin career. He puts it over!
78 Mins: Inglis short pass to Aidan Guerra who goes over and that will be 50! TRY!
76 Mins: Thurston makes a break and it looks like he could go all the way! No Pearce comes across and makes the tackle but Queensland still on the attack.
74 Mins: Mexico wave going around the ground as Thurston and Woods have a disagreement in backplay.
72 Mins: Thurston with a lovely offload inside to Inglis who is strolling through the NSW defence!
69 Mins:...unbelievable. TRY to Thurston and that will be 50! Or maybe not! Called NO TRY over a strange technicality about 10 metres and Matt Gillett. It's all noise but not that it really has any factor on the game. Only the record books.
68 Mins: Hodges would be pretty keen on a try right now wouldn't he? Thurston curls another wonderful kick over through the posts. he's 9 out of 9 tonight.
67 Mins: Cronk to Thurston to Chambers who goes all the way and over for a TRY! NSW defence leaking points all over the field.
62 Mins: Cameron Smith with the little kick into the in-goal and Dugan knocks it on! The Queensland assault will continue.
63 Mins: NSW with a little pep in their step but surely they can't come back from here?
61 Mins: Jennings intercept! Jennings will go all the way and finally NSW get a TRY!
58 Mins: Thurston is a deadeye from absolutely everywhere as he kicks the most goals in an Origin game.
57 Mins: Queensland still on the attack after those scuffles and a lovely flat pass to Boyd in the corner for a TRY!
55 Mins: OH TAMOU OBLITERATES LILLYMAN WITH A CLOTHESLINE! THATS DIRTY! He gets put on report for his troubles but come on, mate, not to a Warrior!
53 Mins: Tempers starting to boil over here as Josh Jackson has his shirt all but ripped off. It'll be the only thing left for NSW to do. Beau Scott the initial guy to get pushed down and there's plenty of cocked fists but no actual punches thrown.
Thurston nails the kick and this is brutal.
51 Mins: It really looks like Queensland could crack 50 here....And just as I write that, Michael Morgan goes over the line for a TRY! His first ever Origin TRY!
50 Mins: Smith now getting on the grubber action from 10 metres out and Jennings scrambles it away behind the goalline. This is some incredible attacking footy from Queensland.
48 Mins: another lovely little kick in from Cronk for Inglis and Josh Dugan has to come up very hard to reach that ahead of the big fella!
46 Mins: Well the big hits are flying in now from Queensland as they look to assert their dominance in front of this home crowd.
43 Mins: Thurston nails the penalty.
42 Mins: Cronk rolls a lovely kick into the end goal and again it looks to be going dead but is flicked back by Hodges into the arms of Matt Gillett for a TRY!
41 Mins: Queensland kick-off and we're back underway! Early knock-on by Klemmer and Queensland are straight onto the attack.
Blues back out on the park...and so follow the Maroons.
40 Mins: Inglis looking dangerous as always, throws a few dummies but is brought down...Queensland get caught flat-footed in the middle of the park 10 metres out...But they're making it work as Thurston throws a cut-out pass past the fingertips of Darius Boyd and into touch...That'll do us for the half! Catch all the second-half action after the break!
39 Mins: Big bomb into the corner and Josh Morris can't take the catch, he knocks it on! The pressure is unrelenting on NSW.
35 Mins: Queensland with a sweeping move and Greg Inglis fends off a defender and goes over to score! Thurston in the thick of it again with the pass and that is a great TRY!
34 Mins: Trent Merrin with a huge lift on Corey Parker! That was very dangerous! Both feet off the ground and this isn't looking good. Trent Hodkinson was involved as well, Merrin gets away with being put on report.Plenty of push and shove after that.
33 Mins: Thurston puts it over and breaks Meninga's point-scoring record in inter-state football.
32 Mins: Bit of controversy in back play as Beau Scott tackles Smith after a kick and lifts him and dumps him in a tackle...Fans are screaming for him to be sent off and Michael Ennis goes to the ref to tell him he's getting overwhelmed by the crowd! Ref doesn't like that...No serious consequence for Scott but Thurston has another shot at goal to come.
31 Mins: Woods nearly slips through! NSW a metre or so out and and Pearce goes to the air on the left for Morris but he spills it and Queensland survive the aerial onslaught.
28 Mins: Thurston puts the kick over and the Maroons are cruising.
27 Mins: Cronk with a nice run brings Queensland up to the 10-metre line. Now Lillyman goes close! Smith to Thurston who slips in Papalii who goes over the line! TRY! Far too easy!
24 Mins: NSW have managed their way up to Queensland's 10. Final tackle and they look to pass before Cordner drops it on the boot for a little grubber which goes just beyond his reach and Inglis is there to gather.
21 Mins: Thurston looking for Gagai in the corner with a kick but Morris gets up and takes it safe.
19 Mins: Hodges with some silky footwork nearly weaves his way through...Chambers keeps up the assault though and nearly breaks the line. Corey Parker brings it up to the 10 and Cronk with a lovely reverse kick for Inglis to chase! Looks like it wil lgo to far....it won't! HE SOMEHOW PULLS IT BACK AND INTO PLAY! Dugan is there though to clean up.
18 Mins: Queensland with all the momentum here....Thurston to Scott to Guerra who is inside the 40-metre line...Cronk goes to the air but Dugan again with the safe hands.
16 Mins: Yep, nothing wrong with that try! And Thurston converts.
15 Mins: Michael Jennings knocks it on 10 metres out from his own line! Big chance for Maroons...Smith to Myles who can't get the offload but the ball goes loose and is flicked out to Gagai in the corner for a TRY! We're going to go upstairs!
14 Mins: Thurston bounces and spins out of a tackle and gets it to Chambers who runs it up to the Blues' 20 metre line...Now Thurston with the kick and it's a shocker to the wing, Guerra gets up to hit it back in but can't keep it in play...meanwhile there's a scrap somewhere with James Tamou involved.
12 Mins: Penalty goes against New South Wales, unsure what for but it was after a tackle on Justin Hodges...and it looks like it was Woods again lying on him for too long.
11 Mins: Cronk with a huge bomb to Dugan who takes it under pressure and gets flattened by Thaiday.
8 Mins: Queensland 20 metres out as Thurston probes the defence...Woods this time gives away the penalty and Maroons will have a shot at goal. Identical to the first pen. Thurston knocks it over from out in front.
7 Mins: Ennis fires a kick downfield early in the set and Inglis brings it down and runs it up the guts. Big hit up by the Rabbitohs man.
5 Mins: Trent Hodkinson takes the points on offer and knocks the penalty between the sticks.
4 Mins: Tamou with a big hit up off the back of the scrum...Now Gallen with a neat dummy but can't break the line...Myles takes awhile to get off Woods and it's an early penalty call to the Blues right in front of the posts!
2 Mins: So NSW with early possession in Queensland's 30...Great run by Beau Scott who makes some valuable ground...Last tackle and the kick goes to Michael Jennings in the corner but Gagai with a fantastic take! or maybe not, refs rule it knock-on but replays show that call may be a little harsh.
1 Mins: NSW kick-off and we are underway! Well there's a loose ball from the kick-off and straight away there's some pushing and shoving in the middle! Brilliant!
Please stand for the Australian national anthem....Rousing stuff but now on to the main event!
Queensland on the other hand come out to huge cheers. This capacity crowd is pumped.
Alright here we go, the teams finally make their way out onto the pitch! Rapturous boos greet the NSW players on the pitch.
Kick-off isn't far away but in the meantime you can watch highlights from thrilling Game 2.
Yeahhhhhhhhhhh you might be right. Get to the footy lads!
It certainly seems a little louder, a little rawer in the NSW dressing rooms as they do some late work on the pads. Gordon Tallis was fizzing to get in amongst the Queensland players in their corner.
Really fantastic tribute to Justin Hodges at the moment. Massive on-field projection set up on the field. Very classy.
Cracking Photoshop work!
It's also Mal Meninga's 55th birthday but Laurie Daley is certainly keen to "spoil the party". His words not mine.
A wordsmith of the utmost calibre...
Wow Queensland have eight players over 30 and Matt Scott turns 30 later this month. It really could be the end of an era tonight...
Speaking of NBA players...
Can anyone help an NBA baller out?
Well, obviously the big news is Michael Ennis will start instead of Robbie Farah after the Wests hooker failed to recover from a hand injury in time.
Teams:
Queensland: 1. Greg Inglis, 2. Darius Boyd, 3. Will Chambers, 4. Justin Hodges, 5. Dane Gagai, 6. Johnathan Thurston, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Matt Scott, 9. Cameron Smith (c) 10. Nate Myles, 11. Aidan Guerra, 12. Sam Thaiday, 13. Corey Parker
Interchange: 14. Michael Morgan, 15. Josh Papalii, 16. Matt Gillett, 17. Jacob Lillyman
New South Wales: 1. Josh Dugan, 2. Will Hopoate, 3. Michael Jennings, 4. Josh Morris, 5. Brett Morris, 6. Mitchell Pearce, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. Aaron Woods, 9. Michael Ennis, 10. James Tamou, 11. Beau Scott, 12. Ryan Hoffman, 13. Paul Gallen
Interchange: 14. Trent Merrin, 15. Boyd Cordner, 16. David Klemmer, 17. Josh Jackson
Odds: Queensland $1.62 New South Wales $2.20
Pre-match banter:
New South Wales waited until the last possible moment before making the decision to replace hooker Robbie Farah with Michael Ennis in tonight's State of Origin decider.
However, Queensland are instead focused on giving retiring centre Justin Hodges a fitting farewell.
Hodges had one request in his final Origin camp: for all staff, even the team's reluctant coach Mal Meninga, to join the team's dreaded early wakeup swim.
It's testament to Hodges' standing in this side that he agreed.
"He's a pleasure to be around," says Meninga. "Competitive as all buggery, but at the same time he's got a great sense of fun."
Queensland are desperate to send him out a winner tonight.
"It's like a brotherhood and its great they say those things but for me I just want them to go out there and play the best football they can. There's a bigger thing than myself," said Hodges.
He learnt how big it is the hard way, a debut many thought might double as his last in 2002 after a shaky performance.
"At the time it was quite overwhelming. The backlash I got and everything like that I probably wasn't prepared for."
The Blues could farewell one of their greats too with skipper Paul Gallen coy over thoughts of a possible Origin retirement.
"I only care about this game, mate, you got to treat this jump with immense respect and you have to play every game like it's your last," said Gallen.
If it is his last then he'll have a unified Blues team to thank.
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