Overview

• Payne Haas anchored the Blues’ forward dominance and was named man of the match after racking up over 100 metres alongside four other NSW forwards.
• Zac Lomax crossed twice and produced a try-assist, while Brian To’o’s sin-bin for a high tackle on Xavier Coates briefly reduced NSW to 12 men.
• Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary combined fluidly in their first outing together, using precise kicking and ball control to seize early momentum.
• Queensland’s Maroons gave away several penalties for ill-discipline and struggled to match NSW’s physicality, raising questions over their spine and forward pack.
• With the series shifting to Optus Stadium, NSW will seek to maintain its unbeaten Origin record in Perth when Game 2 kicks off on June 18.