State of Origin: Queensland claim tense opener in Sydney
Last Updated: 01/06/16 3:22pm
Queensland claimed game one of the State of Origin series with a 6-4 win over New South Wales at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday.
The Maroons took the 6-4 lead into the break thanks to a try from Dane Gagai and a penalty from Johnathan Thurston, and after an energy-sapping second half saw both sides scoreless, Queensland took home the spoils in the first of the three-game series.
New South Wales had a try ruled out later in the game, but will be left to wonder how Boyd Cordner's first-half effort was their only score in the game despite boasting the majority of the possession.
The Queensland defence was splintered at times, but able to hold out in what was a typically bruising first run out of the series.
Both sides were enterprising in attack in the opening exchanges, but due to ill-discipline from New South Wales the visitors enjoyed their initial possession much closer to the opposition tryline.
However the New South Wales defence remained unbroken, and after several attempts to breach the line, Queensland eventually settled for a shot at goal from a penalty in the 15th minute, which Thurston sent through the uprights.
If Queensland had more possession in the opening quarter, the Blues were more effective with theirs at the beginning of the second. Moments after they threatened the Maroons' line for the first time they scored the opening try of the game.
James Maloney carried the ball to the line and drew the Queensland defence well before feeding Cordner, who stretched out his arm to score.
The score reflected the overall momentum held by the Blues, but the visitors were able to take the lead shortly before the break. The Maroons ran the ball on the last tackle and Thurston - who had been struggling to stamp his mark on the game up until that point - attacked down the right, where quick hands from Darius Boyd and Justin O'Neill put Gagai over in the corner for a 6-4 advantage at half-time.
New South Wales were back in charge from the outset of the second half, but they were unable to turn the dominance into points. Instead they were forced to scramble in defence when a penalty to Queensland saw the Maroons deep in the opposition half with intent.
A deft grubber from Thurston almost held up enough for Cronk to latch onto but Matt Moylan beat the Queenslander to it to ease the immediate danger.
What followed was a period of sustained pressure on the home side before a knock-on from Sam Thaiday brought relief.
New South Wales then wrestled the game back, and came close to scoring with their next attack, as Josh Morris slipped out of Inglis' tackle to lunge for the line, but Guerra and Thurston prevented him from grounding the ball on the line. After deliberation from upstairs, the try was ruled out.
With 15 minutes remaining the Blues were still deep in the opposition half and in a commanding position, and when a high kick appeared to be knocked on by O'Neill in front of his line they had the perfect opportunity to score what could have been the decisive try, but at the last second the referee switched his decision, ruling that Cordner was first to knock-on, handing the Maroons a reprieve.
The visitors were able to clear their lines from the next possession, and as the home side flagged after several chances were wasted, Queensland closed the game out for an important away win.
