[Photo: NSW BLUES/ FACEBOOK]
The New South Wales team have etched their names into State of Origin history, defeating Queensland Maroons 30-12 at Lang Park to claim the 2026 series and become just the fourth Blues side to win an Origin decider in Brisbane.
The Blues stormed to an 18-4 halftime lead before producing a composed second-half performance to silence a near-capacity Maroons crowd and seal a memorable victory.
Halfback Nathan Cleary starred with two tries, a crucial one-on-one strip that led to another score, and a perfect five-from-five kicking display.
Cleary also paid tribute to coach Laurie Daley, who faced heavy criticism throughout the series.
“A lot of people wrote him off, but he’s an absolute champion in NSW. We never write off champions.”
The triumph marks New South Wales’ third straight State of Origin victory at Lang Park, with two of those coming in series-deciding matches.
