State of Origin 2012 Game 3 Full-time score: QLD 21-20 NSW Queensland overcame New South Wales barrages to claim an unprecedented seventh consecutive State of Origin series, clinching the 2012 Game 3 decider 21-20 on the back of a 75th minute field goal by Cooper Cronk.
In what will go down as one of the most memorable Origin clashes in history, Cronk showed tremendous composure to kick true from 40 metres, much to the delight of the delirious sea of maroon in Brisbane.
After falling behind 0-8, Queensland posted 16 unanswered points before the break, underscoring just why they’ve held an unabated stranglehold on the State of Origin series for the best part of a decade. Tries to Darius Boyd, Johnathan Thurston and Justin Hodges in the shadows of half time set the foundation for this rampaging Queensland unit.
But New South Wales didn’t go quietly into the night.
While Queensland kept the scoreboard ticking over with penalties, second half tries to Brett Stewart and then Josh Morris drew the Blues level at 20 following a clutch sideline conversion by Todd Carney on the 70 minute mark.
With the crowd at fever pitch, Cronk seized his opportunity and gave the hosts a one-point lead that would prove enough to continue the maroon dynasty for at least another year.
A predictably fiery opening saw penalties conceded and punches thrown before 90 seconds had even elapsed, with Paul Gallen and Brent Tate likely to face scrutiny for a pair of vicious high shots.
The visitors hit the board first via a Carney penalty goal, Ricky Stuart indicating his strategy to take guaranteed points by holding two fingers aloft without hesitation.
The Blues found more reward for their sustained pressure just four minutes thereafter when Brett Morris outmuscled Sam Thaiday to score the game’s first try.
Perhaps starting to sense their dominance ebbing away, Queensland hit back through Darius Boyd.
The Maroons took advantage of the field position gifted by a Blues penalty as Johnathan Thurston fired a bullet cut-out pass to Boyd who crossed in the left corner.
Thurston was involved again on the half hour mark, pulling the strings in his own end to set his team mates away before brilliantly running the length of the field to receive the final pass and score next to the posts.
Justin Hodges added to the Blues’ misery, scoring a third for the home side just prior to half time as a Thurston conversion added to his tally where tonight he became Queensland’s second highest point-scorer.
New South Wales needed to regroup at half time and took to the field a more invigorated side.
The margin was quickly cut to two as Robbie Farah’s perfectly-timed grubber found a diving Brett Stewart.
Queensland took their lead back out to four points – then six thanks to a pair of penalties, but the real drama was yet to unfold.
With time very much against them, New South Wales threw everything at their northern rivals and it was Farah once again responsible for orchestrating the kicking game.
A desperation bomb to the wing somehow found its way into the hands of a diving Josh Morris who controlled possession and planted the ball in the corner. Carney’s kick was ice cold in the circumstances and the Blues suddenly found themselves on level terms, only to be denied minutes later by the boot of Cronk.
It was a gallant effort by the visitors, but the consistency, determination and sustained class of this wonderful Queensland side ensured that the Origin trophy would stay north – at least for another year.
Raymond_in_PNG
Guest
I am a huge fan of rugby league and i follow SOO very closely. It's the world's best entertainment, no exception. The game was great. However, i have to say as someone watching from Papua New Guinea, it was marred by poor ref decisions. I know in the rule book, it says you can't run behind a player and a try was awarded in this circumstance. If i was the video ref, i would, after having just one look at the replay, wouldn't have awarded the try. You just can't run behind a supporting player despite whatever. Other than that, it was a fantastic game of rugby league. NSW played like crap and yet after the full time siren sounded, the scoreboard showed 21-20 to Qld. Had they played the last 8 minutes without making any errors, who knows what could have happened. For me, as the game progressed you could start to tell the boys from the men. Qld deserved to win because they played very well and experience is always something they will have. GREAT GAME!!!
Matt
Guest
After the game the Cameron Smith bought Paul Gallen a celebration drink. Smith ordered the drink and gave it to Gallen. He took a sip and said whats this mate lemonade or something? Smith said nah buddy its 7up!
Meesta Cool
Guest
NaLBP, I believe there is a good Lawn Bowls team in your area.. Sorry you are disenchanted with League, but a lot of us aren't really gonna miss you... Enjoy the change, Ohhh I almost forgot "Tell someone who cares"!!!..
PJC
Guest
Players run behind their own team mates in every game in every round and the only reason people are complaining is because it lead to a QLD try in a State of Origin match.
mike j
Guest
I learned: * that Razza works for the blog police (but is evidently undercover) * that Razza doesn't do his job very well, judging by the amount of mouthing off about nothing that goes on around here * that Razza doesn't understand how a backhanded compliment isn't, in actuality, a real compliment.
micka
Guest
...MELB NSW 4 lyfe said | July 5th 2012 @ 10:57am BAAAAAAAAAAH! NSW, aus League birth place I live in Melbourne and AFL is huge here, why? because it belongs here. and thats all it will be huge in VIC.".... and SA and WA and Tas and most of the territory and the southern part of NSW.... Soak up the beauty of NRL mate but don't make the mistake of underestimating Aussie Rules with that dissmissive twang. Despite the fact that nobody apparently cares about AFL in the league states I sure hear a lot irrelevant of whinging about it.
Qldrewlz
Guest
Haha omg seriously listen to you cry! You say oh if all the qld commentators say it's no try then it shouldn't be given, but that's why they comment and dont referee cos it's not up to them. And if mitch Pearce didn't hold his arms up like a bitch trying to milk an obstruction he would have made it to hodges and possibly stopped the try. So suck it up
Qld thru and thru
Guest
Razza, you are correct and a mathematical wizz .. it won't last forever but it will for another 12 months.
MELB NSW 4 lyfe
Guest
Somebody call the WHAAAAAAAAAAMbulance....you need to get out more because your conspiracy theories are freaking me out. Either that or your disgruntled attitude has perveyed so much that so you cannot see past the fact that you truly are a BLUES fan! Embrace it my friend, let us cry in to our pints for today and look for the sun in the morning!
Luke M
Guest
Fool, decoy runners are meant to act as possible ball receivers, to confuse the opposition, not blockers, to block the opposition. This is not NFL. Hannant was never going to get the ball. He saw Hodges drifting across, and made a beeline straight for the Blues in front of him.
matt h
Guest
Farah to half back and Hinchcliffe, or even Gidley, to hooker. Maybe Hinchcliffe with Gidley taking the old Craig Wing role. God I used to hate Craig Wing! He terrified me every time he came on the field.
matt h
Guest
To be honest, NSW could do worse than Farah at half back and pick, say, Hinchcliffe at hooker. given the available halves, Farah is probably the best kicker and organiser
MELB NSW 4 lyfe
Guest
BAAAAAAAAAAH! NSW, aus League birth place I live in Melbourne and AFL is huge here, why? because it belongs here. and thats all it will be huge in VIC. your deluded and I hope that your son understands he has the right to think anything other than what his old man feeds him. I am staunch NSW fan and my son barracks for the Maroons, it is for this reason SOO will roll on and become bigger than you could imagine. you choose and you see it thru , thru thick and thin..he's never seen NSW win a series and when he does guarantee his tears will flow..hahaha! Loyalty is a sparse commodity in our society with the dog eat dog, money talks mentality but it can be found in abundance in this household.
NSW, aus League birth place
Guest
As if you really believe our day will come, the NRL sell our home games while we are in crisis and give QLD 3 deciders in suncorp in a row, they choose QLD refs to manage the game, and the slectors seem to sabotage our team with the constant selections of Pearce and Creagh. Why get behind a QLD party? we are just in there to give QLD someone to laugh at and boo. Your an idiot and are blind to the truth.
NSW, aus League birth place
Guest
Enjoy the win Queensland cause soon there wont be an opposition for you to play. NRL fans enjoy it while it lasts cause year by year you will notice the home grounds will have more and more empty seats in it and more and more bums in GWS games. FK NRL
NSW, aus League birth place
Guest
I dont support teams for convenience you idiot, i support teams the old fashioned way ie the area i live in, unlike masses of ppl picking and choosing or even worst the NSWelsmen supporting QLD for no reason at all. GWS is in western Sydney so thats the team i will support. I dont care if they lose all the time, the Swans started out exactly the same and look at them now, NRL are run by a bunch of idiots.
Razza
Guest
A great game and a fair result, it could have gone into golden point, but that never happened, so we take it on the chin again and prepare for series 8, odds say NSW must win a series soon, but when they do, it doesnt mean Qld are dead and buried they will bounce back very soon. Qld had two extra players on their side lastnight, Arthur and Petro, meaning they were the motivation that Qld needed and they didnt let them down, big Artie would be proud of them all and Petro deserved the win for a send off of a brilliant player, Club,Test and Origin level, a tough nut and quite a few players will miss him. Congratulations Queensland, you all can yell QUEENSLANDER.
MELB NSW 4 lyfe
Guest
In saying Soward and Wallace are our obvious options all that really does is fill a gap but offer nothing. Soward and Wallace are competent at best and looking at the current batch of NSW halves on offer there is no one in the foreseeable future whom we can say "that guy is going to be the difference" eg Andrew Johns/Brad Fitler until we can solve the halves riddle our forwards can play as hard as they have all series all for naught. Is there anyone in a 6 or 7 running around for NSW or future NSW we can see will lead us?
MELB NSW 4 lyfe
Guest
+1 I thought carney would be the risk thruout the series but he seems to be fulifilling the potential people saw in him as for Pearce you could have placed anyone in that jersey and no one would have known any different. Call a spade a spade, QSLD are covered across the park talent wise but this has to be the series where we finally found the combos (bar the halves) that would push us over the hump, just wasnt this year. people complaining about "Ive supported the blues since Noah built the ark" blah blah blah.. imagine how the boys must feel out there on the park? Get over it and get behind them even more fervently and give the boys the lift QSLDrs seem to give when they play at suncorp! Our day will come and when it does how sweet it will be NSW FOR LYFE
Razza
Guest
Qld thru and thru This blog is for genuine input into the game, not for IDIOTS like you to mouth off post match about nothing, Qld won the game no doubt, and both sides were glad it was over, it was a great game with nothing in it. Congratulation Qld, you are a dedicated football team with a dedicated coach and deserved the win, but odds say it wont last forever. You might be able to learn something out of this compliment, Qld thru and thru,?????