The NSW Blues produced a stellar performance to win the State of Origin shield for the first time since 2021 and win their first series decider in Queensland at Suncorp Stadium in 19 years.
Not only did they win back-to-back matches to emerge victorious in the series, but they also kept the QLD Maroons scoreless with great effort on both ends of the field.
Winning 14-4, Bradman Best and Mitchell Moses both crossed the line to score while Zac Lomax booted three goals from three attempts, gifting Michael Maguire his first series win in the Origin arena.
Here is how each player rated.
1. Dylan Edwards 9/10
Edwards did everything that allowed him to win the three premierships with the Panthers and a Clive Churchill Medal. Producing a clinical and consistent performance at fullback, he broke the 200-run-metre barrier and looked sharp in defence.
2. Brian To'o 7/10
Another consistent performance by Brian To'o but he did nothing special throughout the match. Relied on to get his respective running metres and tackle busts.
3. Bradman Best 8/10
Opened the scoring for the NSW Blues and finished with a tad over 150 running metres, forced a drop-out and made two line-breaks. However, Best made a couple of mistakes during the opening half which saw him lose the ball twice after being tackled.
4. Stephen Crichton 7/10
Just like his former Penrith teammate Brian To'o, Crichton produced another consistent showing with an aggressive defensive performance but did nothing out of the ordinary. Unfortunately made a couple of mistakes throughout the match.
5. Zac Lomax 8.5/10
Another brilliant performance by Lomax that saw him make zero mistakes, score six points from conversions and run for 140 metres, which included six tackle busts. Showcased that he is the best aerial leaper in the NRL competition.
6. Jarome Luai 9/10
One year after being dropped by the NSW Blues, Luai produced his best performance to date in the Origin arena, which included a magnificent kicking game. The Blues were able to regather his drop-outs twice and forced two drop-outs on the other end of the field. Also, set up the opening try after getting through the QLD defence.
7. Mitchell Moses 8.5/10
After a slow start to the match, Moses picked it up in the second-half and stood up in the big moments. After producing a stellar tackle on Reece Walsh he would back it up with a great try that saw him get past Harry Grant, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Reece Walsh.
8. Jake Trbojevic 6/10
The Blues skipper saw limited action on the field again which resulted in him only making three carries and making 15 tackles.
9. Reece Robson 8/10
One of the team's best in the opening half, Robson controlled the ruck in the dummy-half role and was able to pounce when he saw the marker not square.
10. Payne Haas 7.5/10
Although he didn't back up his previous Origin performance as well as he would have liked, Haas set the tone early in the match but slowly faded away as the game went on. Finished with 106 running metres and 26 tackles.
11. Liam Martin 7.5/10
One of the most aggressive players on the field, Martin didn't shy away from making some tough carries and producing some big tackles. His best tackle came after bamboozling Tom Dearden within the first 20 minutes of the match.
12. Angus Crichton 8.5/10
After leaving the field early into the match for a HIA, Crichton played his consistent best once returning to the field. The 2024 Wally Lewis Medal winner had two tackle busts and ran over 130 metres. His showing also included limiting his opposing number and creating a formidable edge.
13. Cameron Murray 7/10
Extremely reliable in defence, Murray produced some amazing tackles, which included driving Selwyn Cobbo back into the in-goal area. However, he was sin-binned after getting involved in a melee despite not even being on the field and costing the Blues the one-man advantage.
14. Connor Watson 7/10
Spent just over 15 minutes on the field and did his job. However, the limited minutes lowers Watson's ranking as he attempts to contend for the starting hooker role next year.
15. Isaah Yeo 8.5/10
Produced another consistent display off the interchange bench and fails to under-perform in big moments whether that be at club level or on the representative arena. Made 165 running metres while adding 24 tackles to his stats.
16. Mitchell Barnett 8/10
Brough into the match early, Barnett did nothing wrong in his State of Origin debut. The debutant ran for 59 metres and made 20 tackles which included several big hits. Will be hard not to be selected by Michael Maguire for next year's series.
17. Spencer Leniu 8/10
One of the most aggressive players with the ball in hand, Leniu, came onto the field and made an immediate impact. However, the forward unfortunately made a crucial mistake on the eve of half-time which allowed the Maroons to take the lead into the break.
