The photo that proves just how brutal Origin Game Three was: Telltale sign from all-time classic

Three players had to leave the field after savage head knocks in the opening minutes of play, Dane Gagai and Matt Burton threw punches in a flashback to the 1980s and the hits were ferocious from start to finish – Thursday night’s Queensland victory was 80 minutes of non-stop brutality – and this image proves it.

Just a minute into the second half, referee Ashley Klein was trying to calm down Queensland halfback Daly Cherry-Evans when he turned his back to the camera to reveal a large bloodstain in the shape of an exclamation point on his top – and you couldn’t have found a better way to sum up the deciding match of the series.

First Cameron Murray had to leave the field after an eye-watering head clash in one of the opening tackles of the game.

He was quickly followed by Queensland’s Selwyn Cobbo, who sent shockwaves through fans everywhere when he lay unconscious on Suncorp Stadium after copping some friendly fire when he got his head in the wrong spot in a tackle.

The star winger was comforted by his fellow back Dane Gagai as he was carted off the field in a neck brace – thankfully, he appeared to recover soon afterwards. 

Jarome Luai’s reputation might not fare so well after fans slammed him for standing over the fallen flanker and taunting him while he was knocked out. 

Prop Lindsay Collins was next to fall victim to a horror head knock, also getting smashed inadvertently by a teammate as he tried to cut his fellow Rooster Daniel Tupou in half as he brought the ball into the teeth of the defence.  

Selwyn Cobbo was one of a trio of players who got knocked out of the game early in savage fashion. He’s being comforted by Dane Gagai after friendly fire left him unconscious

Stacks on! Blues and Maroons players come flying in after Gagai and Matt Burton would back the clock to the 1980s and brought the biff back to Origin

Then came the moment that will be replayed over and over: Gagai swinging punches at Matt Burton’s head before the Blues centre replied with big shots of his own early in the second half following an off-the-ball clash.

The pair were separated in typically physical fashion by Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, who put Burton in a choke hold before the combatants were sin-binned. 

It was the first punch-up seen in an Origin game since Paul Gallen hammered Nate Myles in 2013 in an attack that led to the use of fists being effectively banned in the NRL.

The biff is back: Burton gets sent to the bin along with Dane Gagai in scenes straight out of the wild days of the 1980s, when punch-ups were a regular sight in Origin

There were no more punches thrown in a dominant second half from Queensland, but the sheer physicality of the contest never eased off as both sides cannonballed into tackles until the final siren.

The only players who won’t be covered in bruises come Thursday morning will be the poor trio who were knocked out of the game early in frightening fashion.

And as for Klein’s top, here’s hoping he has it framed instead of washing it.