‘Biggest over-reaction in Origin history’: Chaos unfolds after all-in brawl

A brutal State of Origin decider got even more bad tempered, with multiple players sent from the field after an all-in brawl erupted.

NSW Blues player evicted from Origin

The State of Origin decider has erupted in wild scenes during a stunning opening half at Suncorp Stadium.

Queensland led 2-0 at half-time but it was really only half the story as the sides played out on of the great Origin clashes with neither side giving an inch.

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After a brutal opening half an hour, the tensions finally boiled over as the two sides came to blows on the sidelines.

Bradman Best knocked the ball on while attempting a line break and shortly afterwards, it was all out anarchy.

Jarome Luai elected to not pick the ball up as he ran to Daly Cherry-Evans to instigate some argy bargy as they face palmed each other.

As the two stars tussled, teammates from both sides came storming in as the carnage spilled into the interchange benches in a full-on brawl.

Queensland second rower Jeremiah Nanai instigated the chaos as he stormed in as the third man while Cam Murray joined in the fracas despite being on the bench at the time.

As the footage was being looked over, NRL legend Andrew Johns was hopeful that no players would be given their marching orders.

“Play the error and just let them play,” Johns said on Channel 9. “Don’t spoil it by sending anyone to the bin. Please.

“If they send him (Nanai) here, this is the biggest over-reaction in Origin history.”

Nanai comes storming in as Luai and DCE tangle. Picture: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

A bit of Origin biff. Picture: NRL Photos

Johns’ pleas fell on deaf ears however as referee Ashley Klein gave Nanai his marching orders before turning his attention to Murray.

In bizarre scenes the Blues player was given 10 in the bin with the Maroons then having to select a player to come from the ground to make it a 12-on-12 battle.

The Channel 9 commentary team couldn’t believe what they were watching unfold in front of their eyes.

“I’ve never seen this before,” Paul Vautin said at half-time. “So Cameron Murray is on the bench, gets involved. So because he wasn’t on the field as an official player, he gets 10 in the bin but they have to substitute and take another player off.

“I’ve never seen that, have you?”

Phil Gould replied: “Never, no.”

Vautin: “It’s an Origin first.”

The ruling however didn’t go down well with Cherry-Evans who blasted the referee as he called for Murray to be sent off.

“That’s unacceptable on the park on the weekend,” Cherry-Evans said. “He needs to be sent.”

NRL SOO 3-QLD Maroons v NSW Blues at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane. Picture: NRL Photos/Gregg Porteous

The two sin bins weren’t the end of it however with Blues 19th man Haumole Olakau’atu getting evicted from the field.

Wearing a suit and sitting on the sideline as part of the extended squad, Olakau’atu got involved in the all-in brawl with it ultimately costing him his place on the bench for the second half.

His eviction meant he wasn’t allowed to watch the contest from the bench, instead being relegated to the sheds for the second half.

“Okakauatu’s in a suit and he got sin binned. He might get suspended and he wasn’t even playing,” Phil Gould said.

Originally published as ‘Biggest over-reaction in Origin history’: Chaos unfolds after all-in brawl