May very well have been a different result had Tedesco not been at the back for the Blues. Scored two tries, including the match winner on the siren and had a hand in another.
Did a mountain of work and didn’t let his side down. Finished the contest with 180 run metres from 21 carries. Safe as houses underneath the highball too.
Didn’t have the impact he had in Game II but he did his job nonetheless.
Ran hard and tackled harder. Finished the contest with 14 carries (110 metres) and 16 tackles (3 misses).
Didn’t get many opportunities with just 11 touches of the football.
Rocks and diamonds but he tried his guts out. Perfect with the boot, kicking five from five.
Had a quiet opening 25 minutes but later came to life. Played his part well and started the set piece which led to Tedesco crossing over for the match winner.
Much like his debut, Saifiti only had the one stint. Played the opening 22 minutes in which he carried the ball four times and completed 14 tackles (1 miss).
His stats speak for themselves. A try, a try assist, two line break assists, a line break, 125 running metres and 44 tackles. Almost as influential on the final result as Tedesco.
Another solid performance from New South Wales premier prop. 14 carries for 125 run metres and 22 tackles.
The captain never disappoints with his performances. 13 runs and 33 tackles for Cordner, who now has two Origin series wins as captain under his belt.
Didn’t do a lot for the Blues with ball in hand (3 runs) but did the hard yards in defence, topping the tackle count for his side with 45.
Another player who didn’t make as big an impact as they did in the previous match but nonetheless put in another solid effort. 9 runs for 91 metres and 39 tackles for Game II’s man of the match.
Bench:
Had an immediate impact from the Blues bench, scoring their first try late in the second half.
New South Wales’ bench proved a major difference maker last night. Finucane provided his side with 12 carries for 120 run metres and 24 tackles during his very effective stint.
Was a real spark off the bench for New South Wales. Broke the line minutes after taking the field, almost setting up a try in the process. Later pulled off a one-on-one strip that gave his side fantastic field position.
Unfortunately another injury ended his night early.