In the State of Origin series opener at Accor Stadium, Queensland secured a dominant 38-10 victory over New South Wales, marking the largest win they’ve ever had in Sydney.
The match was marred by controversy following the send-off of NSW’s Joseph Suaalii for a high and late hit on Queensland’s Reece Walsh just seven minutes into the game. Suaalii’s ejection left a notable gap in NSW’s defense, which Queensland exploited to great effect.
NSW coach Michael Maguire criticized the NRL for inconsistency, referencing a similar incident involving Walsh that didn’t result in a send-off earlier in the season.
Queensland’s coach Billy Slater, meanwhile, chose not to comment on the specific incident. The send-off heavily influenced the game, as Queensland capitalized on the weakened NSW right edge, where Daly Cherry-Evans shone and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scored a hat-trick.
The victory puts Queensland one win away from a third consecutive series win, with upcoming games in Melbourne and Brisbane posing a significant challenge for NSW. Only once has a team come back to win the series after losing the first game at home and playing the remainder of the series away, a feat accomplished by the 1994 NSW team.
