Tonight we take a look at State of Origin Game III, a decider for the ages with both teams lifting their intensity in defence to bone-rattling heights.
Read on as we take a look back over some of the biggest hits and misses.
MISS
Push and shove involves Blues not even playing
In the 30th minute of the first half, with the Maroons battling their way out of their own half we saw a relieving "six again" call. Queensland lost the ball shortly after and the Blues spread it to the left. Bradman Best made a break, but again lost the ball in the tackle. Jarome Luai came through after the loose ball and ran chest-on into Daly Cherry-Evans. Cherry-Evans shoved Luai in the face and they started the typical no-fists-thrown bridal waltz.
Jeremiah Nanai came running in from half a kilometre away to join the fray as it spilled over the sideline. Soon everyone was involved, with Blues back-rower Cameron Murray jumping out of his seat on the sideline to get amongst it. Referee Ashley Klein finally regained control and rightly sent Nanai to the sin bin. He then called Murray onto the field so that he could send him to the bin as well, with Cherry-Evans questioning whether the involvement of a player from the bench was more deserving of a send off. The Blues had to nominate a player, Mitchell Barnett, who was actually on the field to take his place in the bin.
It was later revealed that Blues non-playing forward Haumole Olakau'atu, who was sitting on the sideline in a suit, was also involved and was asked to leave the sideline. Olakau'atu could hear more from the NRL once the dust settles.
HIT
What a start!
The crowd noise as expected was deafening, as the Blues ran out to a curtain of boos. The opening kick-off from Queensland was handed to Payne Haas for the initial charge, and he tellingly bent the line. After several more forward hit-ups into four-man Maroons' tackles, the ball was spread to Jake Trbojevic who found Jarome Luai, who found Bradman Best who charged off downfield. He swatted off the initial attempt at a tackle from Daly Cherry-Evans and just as he was lining up the inside pass to put Dylan Edwards away, Cherry-Evans came again and with a desperate ankle tap, brought Best to ground. The ball spilt forward and the Maroons were saved from a Game II style early onslaught.
It was a frenetic start to the decider, one that was filled with heavy hitting and courageous charges. This was Origin at its brutal finest. There would be no tries scored in the first half, such was the intensity of the defence.
MISS
Maroons throw pre-game front row switch
Billy Slater tried to catch the Blues off guard before the game even started, swapping his entire front row out for bench players. Prop Reuben Cotter was moved to the second row with Jeremiah Nanai and Lindsay Collins told to take a seat, while the well-tested strategy of starting with Ben Hunt before switching to Harry Grant was thrown out the window.
Harry Grant instead ran out as the starting hooker with new props Moeaki Fotuaika and Felise Kaufusi. The front row role not too familiar to Kaufusi and the move leaving many scratching their heads. Phil Gould on Channel Nine said he thought it looked like a sign of panic from the Maroons, in an effort to overcome the sluggish start of Origin II, from which the Queenslanders never recovered.
With the Blues ultimately sealing the game through Mitchell Moses stepping past a tired Grant to score a try, it is easy enough to say that the switcheroo was a flop.
HIT
Good Better Best
In a try-less, defence-oriented game, with the Maroons leading 4-2, the Blues started to take some risks on the halfway line. The freshly introduced Connor Watson slipped a ball out the back which Jarome Luai picked up. Luai ran at the line and dummied his way past a tired Nanai. He took off downfield with Bradman Best scrambling to catch up in support.
Luai evaluated the situation brilliantly, putting in a couple of stutter steps to both commit fullback Reece Walsh and allow Best to move into position for his pinpoint accurate pass. Best juggled the ball and was lucky that it didn't touch Dane Gagai who was right beside him. As he tucked the ball under his left arm, he fended Gagai off with his right. He still had the cover defence of Kalyn Ponga to beat, which he did with a typical steamrolling effort. In such a brilliantly intense game, the first try was suitably impressive.
MISS
Doctor misdiagnoses Crichton injury
Angus Crichton didn't last long, taken from the field in the opening minutes for a HIA. It was one that he was almost certain to pass, because his injury issue appeared to be in the neck region. Crichton crunched his neck in a tackle on the elusive Reece Walsh and stayed down, grasping at the back of his neck.
He returned to the defensive line after some attention from the trainer, but was soon summoned by the referee and asked to leave for the HIA, based on the independent doctor's assessment. Better safe than sorry as far as the doctor was concerned.
He returned to the field with 18 minutes expired, and was almost immediately involved in a push and shove with Daly Cherry-Evans
MISS
Referee miss could have proven costly
With the scores locked at 2-2, with 23 minutes remaining, the Blues put up another kick towards the wing of high-flying Zac Lomax. Lomax rose above the pack and grabbed the ball and on the way back to earth tried to slip the ball to support. The ball came forward off the arm of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and the Blues dived on it, with Stephen Crichton helpfully signalling "six again".
Referee Ashley Klein completely missed the touch from the Hammer, and the Blues inexplicably left their captain's challenge in the bag. They would go on to waste it reviewing an obvious stripping penalty against Payne Haas just minutes later. Shortly after that the Maroons would take a 4-2 lead after Blues hooker Reece Robson splattered the nose of Harry Grant right in front of the posts.
MISS
Lenui brain-snap give Maroons the only points of first half
Spencer Lenui was very effective off the bench for the Blues once again. He runs as hard as any player in the game and tackles with equal ferocity. He was involved in an ongoing spat with Pat Carrigan, with speculation there was still some animosity between the two left over from Las Vegas.
Just before half-time with the scoreboard unmoved, Daly Cherry-Evans put through an innocuous chip kick, which was easily handled by Dylan Edwards. Lenui who stepped forward to put pressure on the kick, couldn't help himself and stepped across to drop his shoulder in the Queensland captain. The referee was left with no choice but to award a penalty from in front, which Queensland duly converted to the half-time 2-0 lead.