League: Maroons storm over the top of blues
Hotty Miss  |  by www.nzherald.co.nz. All rights reserved. 23.05 | 18:25

Jarryd Hayne of the Blues is driven back by the Maroons defence. Photo / Getty Images

Queensland produced one of their finest comebacks to claim a 25-18 victory over New South Wales in the opening State of Origin rugby league match at Suncorp Stadium tonight to take a 1-nil lead in the best of three series.
Led by captain Darren Lockyer and halfback Johnathan Thurston, the Maroons over-ran the 'Baby Blues' outfit to claim a four tries to three victory in front of 52,498 fans - the largest crowd at the redeveloped Suncorp Stadium.


With five rookies in their side NSW looked headed towards an upset victory when leading 18-6 at halftime, but the Maroons scored three tries in 11 minutes early in the second half to claim a 24-18 lead by the 61st minute and kept the visitors scoreless.
NSW teenager Jarryd Hayne experienced the extreme highs and lows on his Origin debut with a classic try after the halftime siren had sounded before an all-time gaffe which handed Lockyer a match-winner in the 61st minute reminiscent of his try to win the series in Melbourne last year.
Hayne, 19, scored an amazing try on the siren when he charged down Brent Tate's last gasp attempt to kick ahead on halfway, then beat the tackle of Justin Hodges, chipped ahead of the cover defence and picked up the ball on the fly to runaway and score to silence the Queensland crowd.


But his dream debut turned horrendous on the hour when he threw a ridiculous pass back to fullback Anthony Minichiello when fielding a curling Cameron Smith kick for touch. The pass missed his teammate altogether and bounced straight to Lockyer who ran freely beneath the posts.
It was the only mistake in an otherwise flawless debut for Hayne, while Minichiello was close to best on the ground with a superb return to Origin football after missing last year with a back injury.


Queensland winger Greg Inglis was another standout with two tries, his first in the third minute from a Thurston kick and then another in the 50th from a Lockyer-inspired backline move to start the comeback.
Prop Steve Price barged over in the 58th minute to put the Blues under immense pressure, the forward celebrating in style after being denied in the first half for a forward pass.
In fact, the Maroons had two tries disallowed for forward passes and another butchered by centre Steve Bell who coughed it up over the line.


Meanwhile the Blues can consider Nathan Hindmarsh's first-ever Origin try in the 10th minute to open their account a little lucky considering video replays didn't show him grounding the ball although referee Paul Simpkins said he spotted the ball touch grass.
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Keywords: Jarryd Hayne, Suncorp Stadium
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