New South Wales 2-1 Queensland (Series)
New South Wales 14-4 Queensland (Final Decider)
New South Wales (NSW) played gallantly, after a close but near-scoreless 1st half by both sides, to win the final State Of Origin decider & thus, the 2024 series.
The event begun just under 3 hours prior to kick-off, at sunset at 5:12pm, when the Story and Victoria Bridges, City Hall, the Tropical Dome & Reddacliff Place sculptures were all lit up maroon.
At 6pm, with an exhibition Queensland (QLD) RISE Academy under-15’s men’s rugby league match between North & South Brisbane. South Brisbane won 16-4.
At 7:15pm, the coin toss occurred & Queensland chose to kick-off.
The Nine Network, in their pre-match coverage, showed Brisbane’s Story Bridge lit up in maroon with match facts in front of it as well as a segment on inaugural women’s Olympic canoe slalom single’s gold medallist, Jessica Fox & her love of the NSW Blues. This segment was also broadcast, on a few minutes’ delay, inside Lang Park, the venue for Game 3 of the 2024 State Of Origin series.
At 7:30pm, the pre-match entertainment began with a light and pyrotechnic show. The State Of Origin shield was brought out by NSW & QLD rugby league juniors & their coaches before ‘The King’, former Queensland player, Wally Lewis, brought out the match ball. This all was in front of a stadium crowd of 52,457.
The New South Wales side then ran out onto the field where they met the Queensland side on the field, who ran out pass a ‘QLD’ flame sign.
The customary Welcome To Country ceremony, conducted by Ashley Ruska and performance of the National Anthem, sung by Ruva Ngwenya, then followed. A tribute & moment’s silence for David Morrow, rugby league radio commentator, who passed away today at the age of 71 concluded the pre-match ceremonies. A 10 second countdown to kick-off then started the main match.
Early in the game, Channel 9’s on-screen clock was not ticking over correctly for nearly half of the 1st half.
Anyway, to the actual sport. Despite no points being scored until the dying seconds of the 1st half, both sides played fiercely but New South Wales clearly had the upper hand the entire 1st half, with numerous close chances to score a try. With 37 seconds left on the clock, a brain fade by New South Wales player, Spencer Leniu, for tackling Queensland captain, Daly Cherry-Evans, after he clearly kicked the ball, gave Queensland the opportunity to score the first points by a penalty goal. Valentine Holmes successfully kicked the penalty goal.
Throughout the 1st half, tensions boiled over a couple of times leading to scuffles. In the 30th minute, tensions not just boiled over but erupted both on & off the field. Queensland captain, Daly-Cherry Evans & NSW 5/8th, Jerome Luai, started pushing each other’s face after the latter seemed to avoid grabbing the ball in order to target the former but the former pushed first. Queensland 2nd rower, Jeremiah Nanai, then pushed the two off the field, bringing even the bench in it – notably New South Wales’s 19th man, Haumole Olakau’atu, who was wearing a dinner suit & lock, Cameron Murray, who had recently been interchanged 4 minutes prior.
Daly Cherry-Evans was penalised for pushing Jerome Luai but the referees put into the sin bin for 10 minutes Nanai, Murray AND Olakau’atu for their melee, giving the latter the notable distinction of the 1st player in rugby league history to be sin binned without playing in the match! All 3 were in the bin until the 2nd half except for Olakau’atu, who was also banned from any post-match celebrations on-field if New South Wales won, which they eventually did.
Murray’s sin bin was from the interchange bench, so someone had to be removed off the field, which the referee gave to New South Wales’ s discretion.
At half-time, the score was 2-0 in favour of Queensland.
During half-time, a Little Origin match was held.
The 2nd half began with Queensland dominating but New South Wales quickly returned to take the crown and keep it. In the 44th minute, Queensland centre Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow blocked NSW winger, Zac Lomax, from having a fair attempt at the ball, which had just been kicked on the final tackle. NSW was awarded a penalty goal attempt, which Lomax successfully scored, making it anyone’s series once again.
The game was still fierce, tense but still with NSW keeping their return to dominance. In the 60th minute, NSW hooker, Reece Robson, wasn’t square when facing against his opposite, Harry Grant as well as clearly grabbing his face in an attempt to tackle him. The referee awarded QLD a penalty goal attempt, which Valentine Holmes successfully kicked, putting QLD back in the lead again by 2 points despite clear NSW dominance.
4 minutes later, the straw that broke the camel’s back for Queensland. New South Wales 5/8th, Jerome Luai, found a gap in QLD’s defence and stormed 35 minutes up the field before passing it to NSW Centre, Bradman Best, who, after juggling the ball, managed to run up the very edge of the field while fending off 2 Queenslanders to score the 1st try of the night – 64 minutes after kick-off – and which was also the series winning try, which was also converted. NSW now led by 4 points.
3 minutes later, NSW halfback, Mitchell Moses, made a gap in QLD’s defence 15 metres out to confirm the series win. NSW increased their lead to 10 points.
By the 78th minute, QLD were exhausted and NSW sadly, made one of the greatest matches of State Of Origin history led to a disappointing conclusion by running out the clock for the last 90 seconds. It was full-on for 78 minutes and then both teams stopped – one understandably tired but still trying their best and the other avoiding play in any meaningful form to avoid any extremely unluckiness in the final 90 seconds.
The successful conversions were kicked by Valentine Holmes for Queensland & Zac Lomax for New South Wales.
At full time, the final score for the final game was New South Wales 14-4 Queensland & the final score for the 2024 series was New South Wales 2-1 Queensland.
It was the 3rd time NSW had won a final decider at Lang Park, the last time being 19 years ago in 2005.
NSW fullback, Dylan Edwards, was Player of the Match, who was given his medal as part of the Channel 9’s broadcast rather than part of the formal series presentation. It was presented by Channel 9’s rugby league reporter & former NSW 5/8th, Allana Ferguson.
To a near-empty Lang Park, the series presentation followed on a stage in the field’s centre with James Bracey as Master Of Ceremonies & Wally ‘The King‘ Lewis, Queensland rugby league great, Peter V’landys, Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman, Bruce Hatcher, Queensland Rugby League Chairman, Paul Condon, New South Wales Rugby League Chairman and Andrew Abdo, Chief Executive Officer of the National Rugby League.
The winner of the Wally Lewis Medal, awarded to the player of the series by Wally Lewis, was then announced as Angus Crichton.
Ooo!
Ah, I like to say thank you very much to Queensland, um, great series.
Thank you to all the coaches for believing in us & giving us the chance to come up here and do something special, uh.
Thank you to my family, my beautiful partner, Chloe & thank you to my teammates.
Boys, it’s coming home! Chick-a-woo!
Angus Crichton, New South Wales rugby league player
As most of the crowd, who were Queenslanders, left in an unsportsman-like manner by not watching the series presentation, it only left New South Welshmen in attendance, thus when the QLD captain, Daly Cherry-Evans, was invited to the stage, he was greeted by one of the loudest boos he would ever hear as a Queensland rugby league player at the team’s home ground.
Yeah, look, first of all, congratulations, ahm, too good tonight fellas, um. It’s been a cracking series so well done and enjoy, uh.
Thank you to everyone whose come through, not to tonight but every single game, uhm, all 3 games had amazing fans, amazing support from both sides & thank you very much for that, um.
Last much but not least, we’ve gotta thank, uh, Bill, the staff & all of the teammates. It’s not, not our year this year boys but that’s footy. We’ll be back again so take it all in, uh.
Last but not least, thank you to the families, uh. We spend a lot of time away from home, but we know how much love & support we got from you so thank you.
Cheers guys!
Daly Cherry-Evans, Queensland captain
I just wanna start by, um, saying thanks to, thanks to Queensland. Billy, cheers, um. You’re great competitors. It was a hell of a series so thanks a lot guys, really appreciate it, um.
Secondly, I just want to, to ‘Madge’ & um, the boys over there, just it’s been, honestly, the greatest 6 weeks. Greatest 6 weeks. It’s been a hell of a ride, um (chuckles) yeah, um. It’s been really, really special so just really enjoy the night & we really, really deserve this so good on ya, boys & um, I’ve got to thank Westpac & our sponsor family so thanks for getting behind us & to all our families over there, um, appreciate everything. You’ve been along for the journey so thanks so much & uh, last but not least, uh, to the Blatchey’s Blues for following us everywhere.
Thanks heaps, guys.
Jake Trbojevic, New South Wales captain
Peter V’landys then presented the State Of Origin Shield to Jake Trbojevic, who brought the Shield to the centre of the gathering NSW team in front of the stage before lifting it up in victory as flamethrowers lit up the stage & around the sidelines. The NSW staff & the team’s families then came to join in the celebrations. That was State Of Origin 2024.
Until next year!
Sydney Spectaculars 