State of Origin 2016: NSW defeat Queensland 18-14 with last-gasp try

WITH just one minute and 18 seconds left, NSW recorded a famous 18-14 win to deny Queensland the whitewash and take a big step into the future.

THE future is now ours. At last, there really is a new in New South Wales.

Origin is alive, baby

The Blues recorded a famous win over Queensland before 61,267 fans at ANZ Stadium to deny the Maroons a 3-0 series whitewash.

NSW centre Michael Jennings scored the matchwinning try with one minute and 18 seconds remaining.

The last-ditch try sent the crowd into raptures. NSW did a Queensland to Queensland.

It was an ecstatic moment for a NSW side that had felt so much pain against a Queensland side had so often inflicted the same late killer blow.

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The Blues celebrate Michael Jennings’s last-gasp matchwinning try.

NSW lost the series but won the night. Victory was a wonderful way for skipper Paul Gallen to end his stellar State of Origin career as he converted the Jennings try on full-time in another classic Origin moment.

And the win was justification for coach Laurie Daley’s decision to blood eight debutants in the series.

“I’m just happy the guys played for 80 minutes and I’m so happy for Gal to leave this arena as a winner,” Daley said. “I can’t remember the last time we won like that. It was pretty special. I love Gal. He has always had my back.”

Queensland looked to have pinched it late — again — when fullback Darius Boyd scored in the 75th minute to hit the front.

“We thought we had it,” said Maroons skipper Cam Smith, who won the Wally Lewis Medal.

But this young side wasn’t giving up.

Jennings gets the match-winner!#Origin #uptheblues pic.twitter.com/gkr3hfBsmt

— NRL (@NRL) July 13, 2016

NSW fullback James Tedesco looked like scoring a runaway try nearing fulltime before Cooper Cronk pulled him down a metre from the ­line.

Jennings scored off the next play, slipping past three Maroons defenders and crashing over the top of two more on the line.

“It’s an awesome feeling,” said Jennings, who was a fingertip shy of winning NSW game two in Brisbane. “It was fantastic to get there in the end.”

Tedesco ran for 224m, while makeshift five-eighth Matt Moylan and halfback James Maloneys were standouts.

“All the games are great battles and tonight was no different,” NSW hooker Robbie Farah said.

Gallen added: “It was tough — thankfully we did it. We wanted to win the series but I get to finish with a smile on my face. I hate Queensland but they are so good at scrambling. We stood up to Queensland.”

Andrew Fifit’s brain explosion nearly cost the Blues.

The Maroons don’t like losing and several dramas flared up.

Queensland scored in the 51st minute to bring them back into the game before another melee broke out, which resulted in Andrew Fifita being sent to the sin bin for pulling Gavin Cooper to the ground after celebrating a try and throwing the ball at Moylan’s head.

As a result, the match review committee hit Fifita with a one-match ban for contrary conduct.

Greg Inglis is facing a three or four-week ban for a shoulder charge on Josh Dugan in the 48th minute, while Corey Parker, in his final Origin appearance, will miss a match for dangerous contact to the head/neck of Tedesco.

NSW won a lopsided penalty count 12-3 as ill-discipline cost the Maroons.

“NSW really put pressure on us,” Parker said.

The second half started perfectly for NSW with forward Fifita scoring a vital try. James Maloney fired up a bomb which rebounded off Maroons winger Dane Gagai before Robbie Farah kicked through the loose ball for Fifita, who showed considerable speed, to score.

Queensland argued Michael Jennings was offside but the try was awarded. Maloney converted to give NSW a 12-4 lead.

NSW had enough possession in the first half to last an entire game. Not only did the Blues win the penalty count 9-1, Queensland had to make 78 more tackles than the home side in the opening stanza. NSW had 25 sets to Queensland’s 14.

The Maroons also had Cronk sin-binned for holding back Tyson Frizell as he chased an in-goal kick.

Darius Boyd thought he’d won it for Queensland.

The game couldn’t have started worse for Blues fans, as Queensland flexed their muscle in the sixth minute.

The Maroons swept menacingly to their right side with Johnathan Thurston and Darius Boyd before Greg Inglis surged over in the corner for a comfortable try. Thurston missed the conversion and Queensland led 4-0.

The Blues put as several dents in Queensland’s defence over the opening 20 minutes but just couldn’t score. It was a trend that continued until NSW forward Tyson Frizell crashed over for his second try in as many games. Yet again he showed considerable power and strength.

Blues halfback James Maloney threw a long ball to Gallen, who crashed into the defence before offloading nicely to Frizell, who took Boyd over the line with him. Maloney converted to give NSW a 6-4 lead.

Paul Gallen got to sign off from Origin in almost perfect style.

NSW could have edged further ahead moments later when five-eighth Moylan put teammate Josh Jackson through a hole with a lovely ball. Jackson then linked with fullback Tedesco, who was somehow dragged down when a try looked certain.

The Blues then hammered Queensland’s line minute after minute, set after set. Halfway through the NSW’s possession onslaught, Cronk was sin-binned for a professional foul. Maloney grubbered into Queensland’s in-goal area before Cronk deliberately held back a chasing Wade Graham.

At one point, NSW had 32 tackles inside Queensland’s 20m zone. The Maroons has just six at the other end.

Yet still Queensland only conceded one first-half try.

Former Blues forward Anthony Watmough took to Twitter to post: “We have big back-rowers that can run great holes through the defence but we try go to around them every set.”

FULL-TIME: New South Wales 18 (Andrew Fifita, Tyson Frizell, Michael Jennings tries; James Maloney 2, Paul Gallen goals), Queensland 14 (Darius Boyd, Gavin Cooper, Greg Inglis tries; Johnathan Thurston goal).