New South Wales stunned favored Queensland 30-12 in Brisbane on Wednesday to win the State of Origin series decider, led by a dominant performance from halfback Nathan Cleary.
According to BBC Sport, Cleary scored two tries and added 10 points with the boot, including a late penalty that effectively sealed the result. Queensland missed all three of their kicks at goal on the night.
"We were written off, but we came together as a group, and I'm just pumped," Cleary told Sky Sports. "What a team."
The win handed Blues head coach Laurie Daley a measure of vindication. Daley had faced heavy scrutiny over his team selections after New South Wales lost the second game 44-24 in Melbourne, which leveled the series. He made significant changes to his lineup ahead of the decider, and the revamped side delivered from the opening minutes.
Cleary opened the scoring after a long spell of Blues pressure. Queensland winger Jojo Fifita knocked on a Cleary kick while under pressure from Origin debutant Jack Bostock, one of the players Daley brought into his reshuffled squad. Bostock had a chance to score himself during that sustained push but fumbled with the tryline in sight. Cleary then dived over shortly afterward, wrongfooting Kurt Capewell before holding off three opponents to ground the ball.
His second try came after forward Liam Martin, recalled by Daley after sitting out the first two matches, stepped past Cameron Munster to send Stephen Crichton away on a break. Mark Nawaqanitawase then burst forward and offloaded one-handed to Cleary. Before halftime, Cleary robbed Selwyn Cobbo and set up an attack that ended with Cameron Murray muscling over, giving New South Wales an 18-0 lead that looked all but unassailable.
Queensland clawed back into the game through two late first-half and second-half moments. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who now has 14 tries in 13 Origin appearances, dived over in the corner, and New South Wales fullback James Tedesco was forced from the field with a head injury after a collision with Maroons forward Briton Nikori. Reece Walsh came on for Queensland early in the second half and was involved in the move that ended with Cobbo collecting a rebound off his own attempted grubber and juggling the ball over the line, pulling the score to 18-8.
New South Wales then extended the lead through Bradman Best's length-of-the-field try, which survived a video review despite an apparent knock-on by Bostock earlier in the move. A second video review ruled out a Queensland score from Robert Toia because of an offside against Max Plath. Both calls went in the Blues' favor at critical moments in the second half.
Daley is now out of contract following the series win. The Blues coach had been under pressure throughout the campaign, but three tries from Cleary, Murray, Best, and debutant play in key positions helped deliver a result that may reframe how his tenure is judged. No decision on his future has been announced.
