Queensland are within touching distance of a third straight State of Origin series victory after Joseph Suaalii’s early send off condemned NSW to a 38-10 flogging at Accor Stadium.
In a horror start to Michael Maguire’s tenure as NSW coach, Suaalii lasted just seven minutes on debut before being sent off for a late and high hit on Reece Walsh.
The shot made him the fastest man sent off in Origin history and it immediately ruled Walsh out of the rest of Game I, as he remained flat on the floor.
Queensland were able to bring super-sub Selwyn Cobbo off their bench and into the centres, while NSW paid the price for having no back on their bench.
As NSW played one short on their right edge, Queensland ran in two first-half tries down that side with Jaydn Su’A and Cobbo both riding roughshod.
The Blues eventually shifted Stephen Crichton to right centre to shut down the Maroons’ threat before halftime, but by then the damage had been done.
Queensland led 20-6 giving NSW an insurmountable mountain to climb.
The path to the Blues’ first series victory since 2021 looks equally difficult for Maguire’s men, with the final two games in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Only the 1994 NSW side has come back to win the series after losing the first game at home and being asked to spend the rest of the series on the road.
NSW started the better of the teams in the opening minutes on Wednesday night, winning the early territorial battle.
But when Nicho Hynes put a grubberkick dead, the Maroons went down field with Daly Cherry-Evans skipping out of dummy-half to put Ben Hunt over.
When Suaalii was marched, the game changed.
Su’A and Cobbo both offloaded in the lead-up to one try for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, while Cobbo brushed off Zac Lomax to put the makeshift fullback over for another.
And while NSW got the game back to 20-10 early in the second half through tries to James Tedesco and Lomax, Queensland were able to pull away again late.
After holding out a NSW attacking raid with 13 minutes to play, Queensland went the length of the field when Cobbo and Hunt broke through the line on back-to-back plays.
Man-of-the-match Cherry-Evans then put the game beyond all doubt when he intercepted an Isaah Yeo pass moments later, running 60 metres before grubber-kicking for Xavier Coates to score.
Tabuai-Fidow also bagged a third try late to seal the Maroons’ biggest-ever win in Sydney.
