:: State of Origin :: Stage of Origin ::

14 –Kurt Gidley (Newcastle), 2 – Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta), 3 – Joel Monaghan (Canberra)*, 4 – Matt Cooper (St.George-Illawarra), 5 – Anthony Quinn (Melbourne), 6 – Braith Anasta (Sydney Roosters), 7 – Mitchell Pearce (Sydney Roosters)*, 15 – Ben Cross (Newcastle),
9 – Danny Buderus (Newcastle – c), 10 – Brett White (Melbourne), 11 – Craig Fitzgibbon (Sydney Roosters), 12 – Ryan Hoffman (Melbourne), 13 – Paul Gallen (Cronulla-Sutherland).
INTERCHANGE: 1 – Brett Stewart (Manly-Warringah), 8 – Willie Mason (Sydney Roosters), 16 – Anthony Laffranchi (Gold Coast), 17 – Anthony Tupou (Sydney Roosters.
COACH: Craig Bellamy.

1 – Karmichael Hunt (Brisbane), 2 – Darius Boyd (Brisbane), 3 – Greg Inglis ( Melbourne), 4 – Brent Tate (NZ Warriors), 5 – Israel Folau (Melbourne), 6 – Johnathan Thurston (North Qld), 7 – Scott Prince (Gold Coast), 8 – Steve Price (NZ Warriors), 9 – Cameron Smith (Melbourne – c), 10 – Petero Civoniceva (Penrith), 16 – Nate Myles (Sydney Roosters), 12 – Ashley Harrison (Gold Coast), 13 – Dallas Johnson (Melbourne).
INTERCHANGE: 11 – Michael Crocker (Melbourne), 14 – Billy Slater (Melbourne), 15 - Ben Hannant (Brisbane) *, 17 – Sam Thaiday (Brisbane).
COACH – Mal Meninga

QLD SECURE HAT-TRICK IN ARM-WRESTLE

Queensland has won their third series in a row with a hard-fought 16-10 win in Origin three at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium tonight. It was just their second win at Homebush in fourteen attempts. Trailing 10-8 at halftime, Queensland scored the only points of the second half. The first came from a 45th minute Johnathan Thurston penalty goal to tie the score at 10. This followed a brain explosion from Paul Gallen, who took out Thurston after he’d kicked. The game – which had already seen a number of minor skirmishes – threatened to erupt shortly after, when Nate Myles was reported for a spear tackle on Ben Cross, which was soon defused by referee Tony Archer. The next twenty minutes was an incredible arm-wrestle, as both teams battled for field position, with some desperate goal-line defence from both sides, though NSW didn’t help their cause with a poor kicking game. It was a piece of brilliance from Thurston – who won the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series – which broke the game open. Running down the left-hand side, Thurston beat Brett White and Mitchell Pearce, before passing inside to Billy Slater. Queensland’s defence managed to hang on in the final ten minutes to seal victory, though a last-gasp raid by NSW was muffled by Archer incorrectly ruling a forward pass against Braith Anasta. While it was a heartbreaking loss for outgoing NSW captain Danny Buderus, Queensland were the better side, showing more enterprise in attack (outscoring NSW three tries to one), exhibiting a better kicking game and defending stoically. Overall, Queensland outscored NSW 56-28, scoring ten tries to five.

NSW – cheered on by 78,751 fans – started strongly, with Craig Fitzgibbon giving them a 2-0 lead after two minutes. Queensland hit back three minutes later off a Scott Prince bomb. Right winger Anthony Quinn, who was a hero at the same venue a month ago, fumbled the kick, which was recovered by man-of-the-match Israel Folau, though Thurston missed the conversion. Matt Cooper gave NSW the lead back in the 16th minute, scoring down the left hand side, converted by Fitzgibbon. Another try from Folau, soaring like Superman to take a Thurston bomb, levelled the scores, with Thurston missing his second conversion. The try carried even more bad news for Queensland, with Prince breaking his right forearm. Some clever dummy-half running from Buderus a few minutes later earnt NSW a penalty in kicking range, which Fitzgibbon duly converted, giving NSW a precious two-point lead.

This win sees Queensland assume the outright lead in series wins (13-12, with two ties) and matches won (42-40, two ties). It was a special moment for Queensland coach Mal Meninga, who played a part in Queensland’s last hat-trick (1987-89), and makes up somewhat for the disappointment of not winning an Origin series as captain (from 1992-94). It is the fifth time a team has won three series’ in a row since the three game rubber was introduced. NSW did it in 1992-94 and 2003-05, while Queensland also achieved it in 1982-84 and 87-89.

QLD 16 (Folau 2, Slater tries, Thurston 2 goals) defeated NSW 10 (Cooper try, Fitzgibbon 3 goals) at ANZ Stadium, Sydney. Qld win series 2-1.