State of Origin: Queensland win brutal series decider against New South Wales

Kalyn Ponga scored the first points of the second half for Queensland

Queensland won a brutal State of Origin decider against New South Wales on Brisbane home turf, to give rookie head coach Billy Slater a first series win.

A second-half try from Kalyn Ponga and a late intercept score by Ben Hunt ensured the shield would be lifted in front of a partisan Suncorp crowd.

The Blues led through Jarome Luai and Jacob Saifiti tries, after Valentine Holmes had given the Maroons the lead.

Kurt Capewell crossed before the break and turned the game Queensland's way.

This was one of the great Origin encounters, played with breathtaking intensity and ferocity from the outset.

There was even a rare punch-up, with Matt Burton and Dane Gagai both sin-binned early in the second half as tempers frayed.

Amid all the drama and excitement, it was Queensland who managed to get their game in order to take victory.

With star half-back Cameron Munster ruled out by Covid, North Queensland Cowboys playmaker Tom Dearden stepped up and combined brilliantly with skipper Daly Cherry-Evans to deliver the win.

They were further affected by the loss of Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins following early head knocks, with Cam Murray also ruled out in similar fashion for the Blues.

It meant that Canberra front-rower Josh Papali'i had to play extended minutes for Slater's side, while the rest of the pack also toiled in the absence of two interchanges.

New South Wales looked to have ridden out the early storm which saw Holmes cross after a fine double-pump from Dearden, and scored fine tries of their own when Luai tracked a Nathan Cleary kick and Saifiti hit a hard line off the ruck to beat the Maroons defence.

The Penrith Panthers connection, which brought the Western Sydney club an NRL premiership, was working well for coach Freddy Fittler, with Api Koroisau's management from dummy half dovetailing perfectly with Cleary, Luai and back-rower Isaah Yeo in particular.

However, Capewell's score on the hooter gave Queensland belief, and they seemed to manage the energy battle better in the second half, playing off the back of a smart kick-chase game powered by Cherry-Evans' boot.

It was a 40-20 kick from matchwinner Hunt that created the platform for Ponga to tiptoe his way through tiring defenders, while a desperate Blues were picked off for the final score as they threw the ball about in hope late on.

Queensland: Ponga; Cobbo, Holmes, Gagai, Oates; Dearden, Cherry-Evans; Collins, Hunt, Papali'i, Capewell, Nanai, Carrigan

Interchanges: Grant, Arrow, Fa'asuamaleaui, Gilbert

New South Wales: Tedesco; To'o, Burton, S. Crichton, Tupou; Luai, Cleary; Paulo, Koroisau, Trbojevic, Murray, Martin, Yeo

Interchanges: Cook, A. Crichton, J. Saifiti, Talakai

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