NSW blitz Queensland to set up Origin decider
New South Wales raced out of the traps at Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Published
2024 State of Origin: Game two
New South Wales: (34) 38
Tries: Lomax (2), To'o (2), Mitchell, Martin, Edwards Goals: Lomax (5)
Queensland: (0) 18
Tries: Nanai, Tabuai-Fidow, Taulagi Goals: Holmes (3)
New South Wales put in one of the most dominant first-half displays in State of Origin history to beat Queensland and set up a decider in Brisbane next month.
Queensland, the defending champions, found themselves 34-0 down at the end of the first half - the biggest losing margin at half-time in Origin history.
The astonishing lead came thanks to six tries in the opening 40 minutes from Liam Martin, Brian To'o (2), Zac Lomax (2) and Latrell Mitchell.
Queensland regrouped after the break, responding with three tries of their own but Dylan Edwards added a seventh try for the Blues.
"I felt we just had a simple gameplan, we stuck to it, got to our spots, kicked to the corners and played simple footy," said player of the match Mitchell Moses.
"It was a bit of silly stuff in the second half that probably hurt us. Probably should have went away with the game a bit more. We learn from that, take it into game three."
The decider in the best-of-three series is on 17 July at 11:05 (BST) in Brisbane.
Line-ups
New South Wales: Edwards, To'o, Mitchell, S Crichton, Lomax, Luai, Moses, J Trbojevic, Robson, Haas, Martin, A Crichton, Murray.
Interchanges: Watson, Yeo, Olakau'atu, Leniu.
Queensland: Walsh, Coates, Holmes, Tabuai-Fidow, Taulagi, Dearden, Cherry-Evans, Cotter, B Hunt, Collins, Su'a, Nanai, Carrigan.
Interchanges: Grant, Fotuaika, Kaufusi, Capewell.