Queensland 12-22 New South Wales: Blues taste victory in Origin I at MCG

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Highlights from the State of Origin opener as Queensland and New South Wales clashed in Melbourne

New South Wales began 2018's State of Origin series in the perfect way possible as they dispatched last year's champions Queensland 22-12 at the MCG in Melbourne.

Tries from James Tedesco (22), Latrell Mitchell (48), Tom Trbojevic (50) and Josh Addo-Carr (69) saw the Blues over the line after a relatively dominant display.

An intercept score from Valentine Holmes (28) had kept Queensland in the game, before a try at the beginning of the second period by Dane Gagai (44) briefly gave them the lead.

New South Wales took a 1-0 lead in the 2018 State of Origin series on Wednesday

From there, New South Wales wrestled back control, however, and stormed on to victory. Game II will now take place in Sydney on June 24, before Game III in Brisbane on July 11.

The Blues took to the pitch with a side featuring 11 debutants - their most inexperienced Origin squad in 34 years - and were led by man-of-the-match Tedesco and stand-off James Maloney, registering two tries in three minutes to swing momentum in their favour.

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Queensland skipper Greg Inglis levelled New South Wales' Tom Trbojevic with a huge hit during the State of Origin opener

In front of 87,122 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the victory a triumph for former Australia captain Brad Fittler, who took over this season as the Blues' coach, with Queensland having won the past three series and 11 of the last 12.

It was NSW's fourth win over Queensland in five Origin matches staged at the MCG.

Greg Inglis (left) and Boyd Cordne (right) led the sides as respective captains

NSW scored first in the 22nd minute off a sharp Damien Cook break from dummy-half with full-back Tedesco racing clear off a Maloney pass.

Queensland looked under pressure but were given a lifeline when winger Holmes latched on to a wayward Maloney pass and sprinted 80m to score an intercept and reduce NSW's lead to 8-6 at half-time.

Dane Gagai gave Queensland the lead at the beginning of the second half, but they failed to build from there

The Maroons, with Greg Inglis leading the way, hit the front minutes after the resumption with a Ben Hunt grubber kick finding winger Gagai in the corner.

But just when NSW looked in trouble they scored two quick tries through debutant centre Mitchell and winger Trbojevic.

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Latrell Mitchell scored the first of two tries in three minutes to swing the game's momentum

Maloney's sideline conversion put NSW ahead 18-12 and the Blues sealed victory when Tedesco beat off five tackles before winger Addo-Carr scored in the corner for the clincher.

The Maroons were playing without retired greats Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston, while Test full-back Billy Slater withdrew earlier in the week with a hamstring injury.

Josh Addo-Carr's fine finish in the corner proved the game-clinching try

Despite the promising start to the series, NSW will be aware they won State of Origin I last year as well, before succumbing to a 2-1 series defeat.