NSW looked unbeatable after 20 minutes. But then it all turned

June 17, 2026 — 10:58pm

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Well, NSW got that flying start they wanted. After a string of poor beginnings, Laurie Daley had talked about a good opening as if that was the match.

With two tries in the first 20 minutes and a priceless 10-point lead, a shortcut to the Origin shield lay wide open for the Blues.

Instead, the dream start was a false dawn and they will have to take the long way, via Brisbane.

On Wednesday night in Melbourne, where Queensland had won once in six attempts over the last 36 years, the Maroons put on one of the finest second-half performances in memory.

Whether new (Sam Walker), old (Cameron Munster) or reheated (Selwyn Cobbo), Queensland’s selections fired like crackers.

In somewhat embarrassing contrast, the Blues’ choices, while limited by injuries, fizzled. The omissions of Cameron Murray from the starting line-up and Haumole Olakau’atu from the entire squad were even more mystifying at the end than they had seemed at the outset.

But maybe, like the excitement and the........

© The Sydney Morning Herald