Australian Representative Teams

New South Wales Blues won Game 3 of the 2019 State of Origin to win the series for the second year in a row, beating Queensland Maroons 26-20 thanks to a last-minute try from James Tedesco.

Queensland had the better of play in the first half, but the score was tied at 8-8 entering the break. James Maloney opened the scoring for NSW with a penalty, then Maroons' Felise Kaufusi went over for a try. The conversion made it 6-2 to Queensland, and Ethan Lowe's penalty increased the lead to 8-2.

Blues' Paul Vaughan notched his own try after half an hour, and the conversion brought the scores level. 

Tedesco handed Blues the lead in the second half with a strong solo effort, and Damien Cook's weaving run to double the advantage was even more impressive.

Josh McGuire's late try set up a thrilling conclusion, and after Josh Papalii's equalising try, the fans in Sydney had their hearts in their throats. But in the final minute, an ambitious attacking move saw Tedesco score his second try, winning his team the series.

The two teams had split the first two games of the series. Queensland won the opener 18-14, but New South Wales dominated in Game 2, winning 38-6.

It's New South Wales' third win since 2014, splitting the last six series. Queensland won eight in a row prior to the 2014 edition.

While the Blues came into the match with momentum on their side, Maroons had a dominant record in recent deciders:

It took the Blues just six minutes to jump out to an early lead when Maloney converted for two after back-to-back penalties.

Some poor discipline soon handed momentum to Queensland, however, and they made good distance with their sets.

A perfect Corey Norman kick bounced right into the arms of Kuafusi for the first try of the night for the visitors:

New South Wales continued to give away poor penalties as their line struggled with the speed of Queensland. Maroons also dominated with the kicking game, controlling the position battle.

But while Queensland were on top, strict officiating restricted the flow of the match.

One fan was not happy about that:

One of these penalties resulted in two more points for Maroons, but the end of the half belonged to Blues, who tied things up after a strong run from Tedesco led to a Vaughan try which was later converted.

He showed some excellent power after lowering his shoulders:

Maroons pressed to regain the lead in the final minutes of the half after a careless kick from the hosts, but the Blues didn't break and avoided more penalties.

The hosts took a blow when Michael Morgan collided with the elbow of McGuire early in the second half, forcing him off the pitch. 

But their luck soon turned. Standout Tedesco spotted a gap in the lines and went for it, combining power and speed to score the go-ahead try:

Mistakes started to creep into Maroons' game, with two knock-ons ruining promising positions. Blues took full advantage, doubling their lead through Cook after 60 minutes:

The hosts wasted several good chances to close out the contest with more penalties, and Maroons started to push for more points. A try for the visitors seemed inevitable, and McGuire put the points on the board after 72 minutes, setting up a thrilling finale.

Relentless pressure eventually paid off:

With eight minutes left to play, Queensland appeared primed to steam past a tired New South Wales defence. Papalii tied things up with just four minutes left to play:

But with time running out, Tedesco came up big one more time, scoring after Blake Ferguson somehow stayed in bounds:

It was a fitting end to an incredible decider that will not be forgotten anytime soon. Fans at the ANZ Stadium more than got their money's worth, and got to celebrate a win for the home team on top of it. 

Dane Gagai scored two late tries to seal an 18-14 comeback victory for Queensland Maroons against New South Wales Blues on Wednesday in Game 1 of the 2019 State of Origin series.

In a bruising contest at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium, the Blues took an 8-0 lead into half-time after Josh Morris' 20th minute try.

A relentless second-half performance from Queensland saw them turn the match around, though.

Corey Oates got their first score of the match in the corner in the 53rd minute before Gagai's scintillating double put the Maroons 18-8 ahead with nine minutes to go.

It was a tense finish in Brisbane after Jake Trbojevic burst through the hosts' defence to score under the posts four minutes from time.

But Queensland held on, and they will now head to Perth on June 23 for Game 2 knowing another victory will seal the series.

New South Wales looked the sharper side in the breathless opening exchanges.

James Tedesco was almost put through by a lovely Nathan Cleary kick in the eighth minute, and the Blues went 2-0 ahead when the halfback converted a penalty four minutes later.

It was a Queensland player who was first over the line, though, when Oates looked to have converted a brilliant finish in the corner in the 19th minute.

But it was ruled out after consultation with the video referee:

A minute later, Morris powered over for a Blues try after Tedesco drew his man brilliantly, and this time there was nothing wrong with the finish.

Cleary converted to put the visitors 8-0 ahead, but that was as good as it got for New South Wales.

They made it to the break with their eight-point lead intact, but Queensland were in the ascendancy for much of the second 40 minutes.

And they made their dominance count as Oates produced another leaping finish into the corner, this time perfectly legally:

Kalyn Ponga then tied the scores up with a penalty after Latrell Mitchell was sent to the sin bin for preventing a potential Matt Gillett try with an illegal tackle.

With 13 minutes to play, the Blues finally had some possession near the Queensland line and looked as though they might just sneak a try.

However, Jack Wighton attempted an unnecessary offload near the corner, which Gagai intercepted and ran the length of the pitch to put Queensland ahead for the first time in the match:

The 28-year-old then went over in the corner four minutes later after Ponga's brilliant flat miss-pass took three Blues defenders out the game.

There was one more twist in the tale when Trbojevic smashed through some tired Maroons defenders to give the Blues a glimpse of their own comeback.

But it was not to be as Queensland cooly defended their way to victory.  

The Queensland Maroons will be gunning for a ninth consecutive State of Origin Series win, an astonishing run of success. But count on hated rival New South Wales Blues doing all they can to prevent it.

Predictably, the tensions between these two bitter foes have been more than simmering in the last few weeks. Maroons skipper Cameron Smith said that "hate for NSW hasn't gone out the window," per Phil Lutton of the Brisbane Times, (via The Sydney Morning Herald).

Meanwhile, former NSWRFL Premiership coach, and current columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald, Roy Masters, has accused the Queenslanders of using "history to suit themselves," per the Brisbane Times.

One of Rugby League's classic rivalries is certainly well stoked ahead of series play. The series begins on Wednesday, with Brisbane the venue for its first game.

Here are the complete fixtures, dates and times for the 2014 State of Origin Series:

As if their recent run of dominance wasn't enough, having the benefit of playing twice on home soil has to make Queensland the favorites. In fact, it would take a brave person to believe the Maroons won't have the series sewn up before July 9, making the second meeting at Suncorp Stadium a dead rubber.

Here are three predictions for how the series will unfold, including the predicted winner.

The Blues' Ageing Forward Line Will Fail to Break Down the Maroons

New South Wales just doesn't possess the speed and dynamism along its forward line to break down the Maroons. Part of the problem is a willingness to trust ageing bodies to navigate this series.

As NRL.com writer Tony Webeck pointed out, the Blues' forwards are defined by having to look back on their primes, rather than anticipating them:

There are six players in the NSW forward rotation 30 years of age or older, including the team's spiritual leaders in Paul Gallen and Robbie Farah. Beau Scott has earned a recall for the first time since Game Three, 2012 while Ryan Hoffman retains the position he held last year, seven years after making his Origin debut.

Although still highly accomplished first-graders it's hard to believe that Anthony Watmough's or Luke Lewis's best days are ahead of them so the question deserves to be asked as to whether they are the right men to relaunch a new Blues dynasty or simply the men for right now.

The problem with trusting veteran savvy is that the Blues face a Maroons squad that has seen it all before in State of Origin play. As Webeck highlighted: "Origin experience weighs heavily in Queensland's favour to the tune of 233 games to 124."

So leaning on experience is doing the Blues no favours in this series. What New South Wales really needs is some pace to counter the athleticism of Queensland stalwarts such as halves Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston.

Planned Aerial Assault Won't Work for New South Wales

It seems the Blues are determined to unnerve the Maroons. Rather than adopting a methodical approach and recycling the ball, New South Wales will take to the air.

Michael Carayannis of The Sydney Morning Herald stated fans can expect an aerial assault from the Blues. As Carayannis highlights, this approach makes sense given the height in the New Wales squad:

NSW have pinpointed the bomb as their attacking weapon in a bid to rattle the Maroons. Debutant winger Daniel Tupou looms as an obvious target on the Blues' left wing, having swung matches for his club side the Sydney Roosters by soaring high into the air, including terrorising opposite David Williams in last year’s grand final.

In part, Tupou was picked because of his reach, while fellow winger Brett Morris and fullback Jarryd Hayne are among the most-noted leapers in the the NRL. Tupou stands at 195 centimetres, while his opposite Brent Tate is 10 centimetres shorter. Tate, Darius Boyd (185cm) and Billy Slater (178cm) make up one of the smallest back threes in Origin history.

Tupou can certainly cause any team problems in the air. But the Maroons will survive the bombardment, thanks to a stronger than expected performance from their back three.

Full-back Billy Slater and wing Darius Boyd are a smart and solid pairing. The duo perhaps won't even waste time getting into a jumping contest with Tupou.

They can defend space and make sure the Blues don't make ground even after winning the first ball. If their aerial outlet doesn't yield results, a plodding New South Wales team won't be able to exploit spaces when keeping the ball on the ground.

Predicted Series Winner: Queensland Maroons

It will be nine in a row for Queensland. The Maroons have better athletes and greater speed at every level of the team.

The Blues will put up a strong fight, but their lack of dynamism will prove their ultimate undoing.

With everything up for grabs, Queensland Maroons will be missing captain Paul Gallen for the climatic third match of the State of Origin series.

It’s one game apiece so far, with the Blues winning the first match 14-6 at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, helped by Gallen who moved into the front row.

New South Wales are aiming to end a seven-year whitewash against Queensland Maroons ahead of Game 3 on June 17.

The Maroons levelled the series 1-1 on June 26 in Brisbane with some excellent penalty shooting from Jamie Thurston, who converted five of six. There were tries for Darius Boyd, Sam Thaiday and Greg Inglis along the way in a 26-6 thrashing of the Blues in Game 2.

Lock and Prop Gallen is appearing in his fifth series for New South Wales and Game 3 will be the first match he has missed in that spell. With 215 games for Cronulla-Sutherland and 200 points racked up, the captain’s absence on Friday over a foot injury is a massive blow to the Blues.

But his omission doesn’t necessarily mean an easier encounter for Queensland, according to Captain Cameron Smith, who told ABC Sport: "There's no doubt he (Gallen) is a huge loss. He's their captain and he's a guy that it doesn't matter what situation their team is in, he puts his hand up to do plenty of work," Smith said.

"He finishes the State of Origin every time he plays with 20-plus carries, he's up around the 30-tackle mark.

"We're not taking that lightly. We don't think they are an easier side to play against because Paul Gallen is out.”

Powerful second-row player Boyd Cornder, who is 12 years the junior of Gallen, could be tossed into the deep end to make his first appearance for New South Wales in the series. The 21-year-old’s strength and physical defensive play will be an extra addition to the side after an excellent season with Sydney Roosters.

He has made 44 appearances since 2011 in the NRL, and the Blues will be mainly looking to thwart the kicking strength of the Maroons in Game 3. Aaron Woods, who has just the single Origin match under his belt at the age of 22, is another potential replacement for Gallen.

Woods has been integral for club side West Tigers over the last few seasons and his ball-running/carrying skills are highly thought of in the NRL. He was also nominated for Prop of the Year in 2012 and guaranteed a spot in the Origin series.

Gallen’s injury is unfortunate, both in timing and luck, for New South Wales, who will be up against a side that knows how to punish the Blues for chasing the game. It’s huge for NSW to end the domination of the Maroons, as said by ABC Sport.

It is not the first time the Blues' hopes of a drought-breaking series victory have been pinned on a decider, but - after seven straight years of Queensland domination - it is perhaps their biggest moment in Origin's 28-year history.

Tonight, if lady luck is on their side, might be one to remember for the Blues—but expect a hard slog for victory.

Queenland's convincing 26-6 win in Game II of the 2013 State of Origin will have reaffirmed to many that the Maroons are on course to remain the dominant force in this latest series.

Following New South Wales' opening 14-6 win and several previous close series, many had begun to favour the Blues finally landing their first series win since way back in 2005, although Game II has now dented many of those notions.

Maroons' coach, Mal Meninga, mentioned how this streak of seven Origin shields leaves his roster desperate to avoid being associated with the team that finally relinquishes one.

Meninga spoke to ABC.net, saying:

Certainly when you get in the back end of your career fear of failure is a determining factor to get yourself motivated personally.

Then you've got the young ones, they want to prove themselves, that's another motivating force.

His side certainly remain favourites, but travelling to Stadium Australia, where Queensland have lost their previous three fixtures, will certainly draw the teams even closer together. Here's a look at some last minute predictions for this mouthwatering contest—after a quick recap of the games so far:

Game I Highlights

Game II Highlights

Blues to Storm to an Early Lead

Sure to be willed on by the majority of a capacity crowd of 80,000, expect New South Wales to emerge from the dressing rooms inspired and possibly catch Queensland cold during the early proceedings.

The Blues were imposing in Game I, capitalising on their size advantage and power in the forwards. They scored after five minutes and registered all of their 14 points by the interval and a similar burst in this decider would not be at all surprising.

Mitchell Pearce Fires Early but Fades

Much of the Blues' hopes rest on halfback, Mitchell Pearce. If he's firing, he will launch countless attacks, dictate the tempo and influence his side's intensity. If he's off his game, his team will appear predictable and struggle to unlock the Queensland defence.

Expect him to start off in impressive fashion and demonstrate his full repertoire of skill before the enormity of the challenge and the level of opposition begin to get on top of him.

Would another series loss signal the end for Pearce in Origin series?

Johnathan Thurston Puts in a Man of the Match Performance

These matches could well pan out to be a case of the Blues' pack against the Maroons' back division and be decided by how well each team neutralises and counters the other's main threat.

New South Wales' pack could well be dominant early on but, once their early adrenaline starts to fade, expect Johnathan Thurston to start working his magic.

The Blues had little answer for his precise kicking in Game II. Look for him to pin his opposition back before instigating a couple of lightning-paced attacks for the likes of Darius Boyd and Brent Tate to finish off.

Maroons Fight Back to Make It 8 in a Row

Unlike in Game I, the Maroons have everything on the line in this contest and will mount a far greater challenge if facing a similar deficit at halftime.

As Meniga pointed out, no player wants to be associated with a first loss since 2005, a thought process that will surely drive his side on. At the same time, memories of several close losses and a huge crowd expectancy could weigh heavy on the Blues and may cast doubt into their thinking at some stage.

Despite a ferocious start, a combination of desire, electric skill from their backs and some nerves from the hosts could well lead to yet another win for the Maroons.

Predicted Final Score:

New South Wales 18 - 22 Queensland

The final match in the State of Origin Rugby League series takes place on Thursday in Sydney, as Queensland Maroons look to make it eight overall victories in a row.

They’ve won every State of Origin series from 2006 and all by a 2-1 scoreline, with 2010 an exception in a 3-0 whitewash.

Queensland Maroons are looking to make it back-to-back victories in the series after winning 26-6 over New South Wales in June.

The Maroons were dominating in their performance in Game 2, but showed suspect signs in Game 1 with New South Wales looking the better outfit.

Both Jarryd Haynes and Michael Jennings hit early tries for the Maroons in front of 80,000 people in Sydney’s ANZ Stadium.

The Blues came out 14-6 winners with James Maloney converting three of his four penalty kicks in the victory.

There were two key changes for the Maroons in their attacking pack—Nate Myles and Corey Parker coming in—who were in full control.

With NSW not on par with their opponents, not even the announcement of a change in Prime Minister could halt Queensland from picking up a good win.

Star-performer Darius Boyd ran for two tries, whilst Sam Thaiday and Greg Inglis added to the Queensland tally. Jonathan Thurston was on form with five of his six penalties finding the points.

Game 3 returns to Sydney as the two sides battle it out for an eventual winner—and for the Blues—their first win in eight years.

Newcastle Knights and NSW winger James McManus will find themselves thrown into the deep-end, as he reacts to a desperate call to replace Jarryd Hynes.

Scottish NRL player McManus has scored five tries in his last two games and including four in their win over Gold Coast. The Blues are also nursing the wounds from losing Paul Gallen, an influential player in the side.

On the opposite side, Queensland Maroons will name an unchanged team for the third match of the series, keeping Myles and Parker from Game 2.

"It's good for team continuity to be able to keep the same combinations," Mal Meninga told ABC Net.

"We'll go to Coolum and everyone will know their job. It is an advantage."

Justin Hodges was binned in Game 2 for reacting to an early punch-up and he expects an intensive affair in Sydney. "The first 20 minutes are going to be pretty brutal," he said to ABC Net.

The Maroons arrived in Sunshine Coast over the weekend and are ready to increase their preparations ahead of the game this week.