4 hours ago
15
New South Wales have conjured one of the greatest State of Origin comebacks, fighting back from 20-0 down to snatch a 22-20 victory with a minute on the clock. Nathan Cleary was the hero for the home side, scoring a crucial try and kicking three clutch goals to put the Blues one-nil up in their quest to win back the Origin Shield.
Despite claiming underdog status, Billy Slater’s Queensland side came out swinging and scored three converted tries in the first 20 minutes until Cleary, who many critics claim has never mastered the Origin format, steadied the ship and swung the momentum back to the Blues in front of 79,186 delirious fans at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Both sides were fielding Generation Next sides, untried halves combinations and a few wildcards on the bench, but it was the home side who showed the early nerves. Mitch Barnett’s fumble in the second minute let Kalyn Ponga launch a campaign of terror on the Blues’ right edge. Sam Walker sensed the panic and dinked a neat kick for Robert Toia to touch down, the Roosters debutants combining for first points.
Choosing Ponga over wunderkind Reece Walsh had surprised plenty but, as a former fullback, Slater knew what he was doing. Ponga proved it in the 14th minute, fielding a kick, swivelling into the line and palming a short ball to Selwyn Cobbo who sent Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow away. NSW scrambled but Cameron Munster had the whisk. He crabbed, spun and found Harry Grant who shrugged off Cleary to squirt a ball under his armpit. Walker was waiting, passing to Tom Flegler who charged over.
At 12-0, Blues blood was in the water and Queensland went into a frenzy of hot potato football. After winning back his own bomb from a Brian To-o fumble, Munster dropped the ball on to his lethal left foot and the Hammer came down, Tabuai-Fidow sweeping in to make it three tries inside 17 minutes. When To’o spilled it again and the Blues were pinged offside Walker salted the wound with a penalty kick for 20-zip.
A third To’o error in as many minutes gifted a 70-30 possession quarter for the visitors. Queensland were tossing the ball around, playing with house money until Ethan Strange body-slammed Munster to win back possession. Blues coach Laurie Daley quickly sent in another hitman, Victor “The Inflictor” Radley. Tails up now, NSW went for broke, Cleary dabbing a grubber off his left for Hudson Young to score.
The Blues were back and the crowd was lifted as Cleary converted for 20-6. Slater sent on stormtroopers Pat Carrigan and Lindsay Collins to seize back the initiative. They bent the blue line but this time it didn’t break. Instead, NSW surged again and almost pegged back another try when Ponga dropped a ball 30m out. The Blues barged into range but Cleary’s kick ricocheted off the post and Cameron Murray couldn’t ground.
NSW kept that momentum and raised it in the second half. The flashpoint came in the 57th minute. Tolu Koula broke away down the left before Walker snapped his ankles and Ponga slid a shoulder into his head, saving a try but earning a send off. The Blues capitalised straight away. Cleary found Strange on his hip and the rookie spun out of the tackle to slide over only for the Bunker to find an illegal obstruction.
Again, the Blues rallied and in the 64th minute they split the Maroons open, Crichton racing away and hurdling a defender before a brilliant offload to Strange to race away. Three minutes later, they launched another attack blitzkrieg, Cleary kicking across field for Casey McLean to go close. With the ball still alive and Queensland outflanked, the Blues somehow butchered the try when a long pass was fumbled.
As the rain tumbled down, NSW went for broke. And cometh the hour, cometh Cleary. Head bandaged, the Panthers maestro ran when everyone thought he’d pass and crossed untouched to make it 16-20 with seven minutes left on the clock. Now it was the Maroons who looked blue. They could only watch dumbfounded as recalled veteran James Tedesco, 10 years after his debut Origin series, soared over their beleaguered troops to snatch the match-winning try and clinch an epic triumph.
