The NSW Blues have ended 13 years of State of Origin heartbreak against Queensland but it wasn’t without drama.
A number of margin calls defined the match that saw the Blues clinch a a rare series win for NSW with the controversy being stoked by perceived bias of some members of the Channel Nine commentary team.
The first moment occurred in the eighth minute when referee Gerald Sutton believed that Maroons winger Dane Gagai had scored in the corner but went to the video referee to double check.
After countless replays, it was ruled Gagai’s knee made contact with the touchline.
Dane Gagai looked certain to draw first blood for Queensland in the eighth minute
But the try was disallowed, which saw social media go into meltdown
It was the first of Queensland’s two disallowed tries for the night.
‘You’ve got to keep an eye on his right leg, he’s in touch I think he’s out,’ commentator and Maroons legend Paul Vautin said during the Channel 9 commentary.
But Blues legend Peter Sterling disagreed, saying Gagai looked to have snuck into the corner.
Social media went into meltdown over the no try decision.
‘How can the video ref say with 100 per cent certainty that Gagai’s leg touched or crossed the line before he grounded the ball,’ one man tweeted.
Up 10-0, Queensland surrendered its first half lead when NSW scored two tries within five minutes before half-time.
Queensland were leading until an unforgivable mistake by Ben Hunt, who took out Boyd Cordner
A rare penalty try was awarded to NSW, which gave them a half-time lead. Some Origin legends said Hunt should have been sin-binned
The second was a penalty try awarded to Blues skipper Boyd Cordner in the 31st minute when he was taken out by Maroons halffack Ben Hunt while chasing a James Maloney grubber.
It was the first Origin penalty try award since 1981, when Mal Meninga was held back by Steve Rogers in the final moments.
Origin legends clashed over the rare penalty try and the referee’s decision to not send Hunt to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
Former Origin coach Phil ‘Gus’ Gould made it known early on just how he felt about the controversial play.
‘Should be a sin bin and a penalty try,’ the ex-NSW coach said from the commentary box, ‘he was easily going to get there.’
Gus unwavering conviction over the call has been savaged on Twitter as ‘unprofessional’, ‘biased’ and even ‘pathetic’ with the veteran caller at one point asserting ‘come on Mr Video Referee, It’s a penalty try. No risk.’ before a decision had been made.
‘I expected a Queenslander to go in the sin bin,’ Maroons legend Wally Lewis said.
‘I didn’t think it would’ve been a penalty try,’ retorted Qld Immortal Wally Lewis. ‘The rule reads that you’ve got to be absolutely positive that he would’ve scored. It wasn’t 100 per cent.’
NSW centre James Roberts was sin-binned with 12 minutes to go, leaving his side one man down with a narrow lead
But the Maroons were unable to capitalise on their extra man advantage as NSW bravely held on to win game two and clinch the series
Queensland had a golden opportunity to steal a late victory and force the series into to a decider on home soil when NSW were reduced to 12 men in the 69th minute with the sin binning of centre James Roberts due to a professional foul.
‘This game is rigged. Penalty try to NSW and Ben Hunt made to stay on the field. Yet at the other end when NSW do the same, QLD penalised by James Roberts out of the defensive line for 10 mins,’ one fan tweeted.
The Maroons’ inability to capitalise on their extra man advantage bewildered Johnathan Thurston, who called it ‘dumb footy’.
It was frustrating viewing for the Maroons legend in the commentary box, who was missing his first Origin series since 2005.
‘(I’m) dumbfounded how Queensland played for 10 minutes,’ Thurston said.
‘A centre (James Roberts) going off for 10 minutes, I don’t think they targeted that edge much. The first set they had, Ben Hunt kicks it dead. 20m restart. That is a brain explosion.’