Five minutes to smash two decades of pain: The moments that won NSW an Origin epic

Of all the ways NSW fans have suffered Chinese water torture when it comes to State of Origin deciders in Brisbane, a tryless match?

Just when you thought there would no other way they could possibly be kicked to the Caxton Street kerb, along came one of the most brutal – and beautiful – Origin games in memory … which looked like it would end with no tries.

Which was actually a big problem for the Blues, who trailed 4-2 with 16 minutes left.

But here’s how the next magical five minutes played out: from a super sub impacting the game with his first major involvement, a Knights star skittling his clubmates, two future Eels teammates sealing the deal and Stephen Crichton having another big moment on almost the same blade of Suncorp Stadium grass where he won an NRL grand final.

Watson’s on, Luai’s loose

There was a viral clip which did the rounds many years ago when the Blues were so paranoid about the Maroons using Chris Walker from the bench, then NSW trainer Nathan Brown ran onto the field and incessantly shouted, “Walker’s on, Walker’s on” at any player within earshot. Someone hilariously clipped it up, and it’s been a YouTube sensation ever since.

Maybe Queensland needed a similar call.

Blues boss Michael Maguire had kept an ace up his sleeve for all bar the last 16 minutes in utility Connor Watson. Queensland and Billy Slater rolled the dice much earlier with Kalyn Ponga’s introduction.

But almost as soon as Watson ran onto the field, he made a difference.

If you hadn’t known Brad Fittler had coached NSW for the last six years, you might have guessed he had an idea about the caper by listening to him on the sideline for Nine (Nine Entertainment Co is the publisher of this masthead).

In the seconds before Watson and Jarome Luai helped turn the series, he said one of the teams had to chance their hand. On cue, man of the series Angus Crichton flicked an offload inside his own half to Watson, who juggled it, turned his body and spilled the ball out the back in a Kurt Capewell tackle, almost rugby union style (NSW would finish with 18 offloads to Queensland’s eight).

What happened next was crucial. Crichton, who had thrown the first offload, got off the ground quickly and got behind Luai to present as a potential support player, maybe muddling the minds of Jeremiah Nanai and Dane Gagai. Whether they were hedging their bets, or just plain knackered, Luai split the pair and then sprinted downfield.

Importantly, he slowed down just enough to position Bradman Best to his left, and the recalled centre also juggled the pass, but had the strength to shrug off a desperate Gagai and Ponga, his Knights teammates, to score the try which turned the series.

Front-first Lomax gets Grant

First things first, Maguire is bald. So this next sentence might not strictly apply to him. But if there’s anything that drives a coach grey, or to lose their locks altogether, it’s making an error after points.

After taking almost 65 minutes to crack the Queensland defence, NSW went one better: they scored off the next set.

It all started when on the second tackle of the set, Zac Lomax took a regulation hit-up into the Queensland defence, which included an out-of-position Ponga.

Instead of being twisted into a pretzel or “turtled” in the rugby league vernacular (rolled onto your back to slow the play-the-ball), Lomax manages to stay on his knees when confronted by Jeremiah Nanai, Ponga and Harry Grant.

As he wrestles to get to his feet, he upends Ponga, and sensing a quick ruck is about to ensue, Grant gives him a little shove. Referee Ashley Klein blows a penalty.

The Blues had not only dodged an error after the huge Best try, they’d forced one out of Queensland.

Asked about Ponga’s defence, Slater said: “I thought he did a great job. He was very impressive throughout the week as well. I thought he did a great job defensively in the middle of the field.”

Moses parts the maroon sea

He’s barely played for the Eels this year with injury, and won’t play for them again in 2024 after rupturing his biceps in the final minutes, but this was the crowning moment of Mitchell Moses’ career.

In commentary, Andrew Johns almost begged him to take control after NSW hit the front. But like this?

With his team in fantastic field position after Lomax won the penalty, Moses – like all good halfbacks – picked the perfect moment to run.

Queensland’s legs were leaden, and with a big gap between the Maroons’ marker defenders Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Tom Dearden to Grant, Moses angled towards the post before springing from his left foot to catch the former slow to react. Even Dearden realised the urgency of the situation, shoving Tabuai-Fidow from marker to urge him to make up the ground.

He couldn’t.

Mitchell Moses scores for the Blues.Credit: Getty Images

Moses snuck through and then swerved around an injured Reece Walsh for the second try in three minutes, one which would seal the series.

“I like Mitch and his personality,” Maguire said. “It suits the arena. You’ve got to have a lot of confidence about your own game. He was patient, the game was a dogfight and there was going to be a moment the game opened up, and Mitch found that.”

Crichton’s catch seals the deal

OK, so it wasn’t quite the same blade of grass he took the intercept from Cody Walker to send the Panthers to grand final glory in 2021. But it wasn’t too far away.

With his team on the cusp of an Origin win for the ages, and Queensland desperate, former basketball prodigy Crichton leapt above the pack to take the Maroons’ short kick-off of Daly Cherry-Evans’ boot.

But for the star centre, retaining possession wasn’t good enough. He kept his feet, swerved around Kurt Capewell, sprinted past Pat Carrigan and then 50 metres later was only denied a runaway try by Walsh.

But NSW had pinned Queensland to their own line again. From then on, the Blues were never going to be beat.

Of all the ways for Chinese water torture to haunt their fans over the past 19 years, this wasn’t going to be one of them.

NRL is Live and Free on Channel 9 & 9Now

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.