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They had been all but written off, rudderless and adrift with a rattled coach at the helm, but a spirited Queensland kept the State of Origin shield alive after a wet, wild and often bizarre Game 2 victory over New South Wales in Perth.
The memorable 26-24 triumph wasn’t certain until the final moments after a titanic Blues comeback – highlighted by a Brian To’o hat-trick – brought them back to within two points with eight minutes to go.
Yet the Maroons’ heroic defence in the dying stages was capped off by new Maroons captain Cameron Munster and recalled backrower Kurt Capewell, having faced repeat sets, who forced an error from Blues prop Payne Haas with another gritty tackle.
The Blues’ final set ended in an error from fullback Dylan Edwards, securing one of the great Origin victories and triggering a mix of relief and celebration for the weary Queenslanders.
The Maroons had scored four tries to five for the Blues. They were kept scoreless in the second half. But they were somehow ahead when the siren sounded at the end of a irresistible sporting spectacle.
Munster was named man of the match for a fearless, inspirational display, repaying the faith of coach Billy Slater for naming him captain. The No 6 said his team played well in the first half but “shot ourselves in the foot in the second”.
Yet he expressed pride in keeping the series alive for the decider in Sydney in three weeks. “We had that mentality, like the 1995 ‘nobodies team’ [who upset NSW] and we just kept working and turning up for each other, and we ended up getting the chocolates.”
Despite the late drama, the match was won in the first half thanks a four-try blitz, as the Maroons rolled through the heavily backed Blues despite conceding the first points. NSW might have run out for the kick-off in Western Australia, but mentally appeared in another state entirely. By half-time they had conceded eight penalties to none, plus another five errors and two ruck infringements which were the icing on a cake that was brown but certainly not chocolate.
The slippery, muddy conditions were the result of steady rain, both in the lead-up to the match and from driving showers that left the players dripping and the balls dropping. The handling errors – 28 in all – made for sharp momentum swings, but amplified the desperation and physicality in what became an unpredictable but deeply entertaining contest.
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The Blues’ victory in Game 1 was methodical, but the Maroons’ triumph on Wednesday was sheer madness. No moment encapsulated their frenzy more than when, in the final minute of the first half, they frantically kept the ball alive on the fifth tackle – up 26-6 – but gave away half the field in territory before a late handling error.
Perhaps the method of victory should have been no surprise given the man who was captaining the side. Munster was in everything, mostly good but also bad, upholding his reputation as one of the game’s great enigmas. An early grubber resulted in a seven-tackle set, and another in the second half set up the Blues on another marauding set. But he never stopped looking for the ball, showing desperation and daring throughout a contest in which he ran for 129m and scored a try.
That four-pointer was set up by hooker Harry Grant, another who overcame an indisciplined Game 1 to make a difference in Perth. He had lost all four of the games he had started for the Maroons, and most anticipated 32-year-old debutant Kurt Mann would be brought in as a late replacement by Slater to see Grant through the physical opening stages unscathed. But the No 9 played all 80 minutes and made 55 tackles to be one of the Maroons’ best.
Despite few believing in the possibility of a Queensland victory, the Maroons have done it again. Yes, it was partly thanks to an off-night from Blues kicker Zac Lomax, who went two-from-five. And they certainly benefited from the odd bit of fortune. But largely due to that familiar Queensland spirit, State of Origin remains alive in 2025.
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