Maroons claim 6th title

BRISBANE: Darren Lockyer’s Queensland team-mates ensured their retiring skipper got his fairytale farewell last night as the Maroons collected a sixth-straight State of Origin series with a 34-24 win at Suncorp Stadium.
Making his record 36th and last appearance for the Maroons, Lockyer was outshone by his brilliant teammates as they ran in six tries to NSW’s four, with Greg Inglis collecting a double including the clincher 11 minutes from time.
Billy Slater, Petero Civoniceva and man-of-the-match and series Cameron Smith also starred as Queensland clinched their first series-decider at their spiritual home in 20 years. But while he wasn’t the star, this was undoubtedly Lockyer’s night, his teammates racing to embrace the champion No. 6 on the stroke of fulltime.
For all the dominance of Queensland’s five-year reign as Origin champions, never have they produced an opening like this.
Spurred on by a record equalling 52,498 crowd, the Maroons refused to let the Blues into the game, ferocious running backed up a precise kicking game which forced NSW five-eighth Jamie Soward to come up with five drop outs in the opening quarter.
What was amazing was that the home side had only one try to their name over the period, Inglis touching down after a deft Johnathan Thurston kick.
Slater had provided the offload to instigate the opening four-pointer, and he produced the final pass for the second – Sam Thaiday almost running out of the stadium as he charged over.
Embarrassed by Blues skipper Paul Gallen in Sydney, Civoniceva and Matt Scott replied in kind and then some, Civoniceva in what could well be his final Origin appearance running for 125 metres in the opening 25 minutes.
For a moment it looked like Lockyer would grab his moment in the sun as he set off downfield, but he had to settle for providing the impetus for Smith to crash over from dummy half two plays later.
By the time a Lockyer kick ricocheted off the legs of Minichiello into the path of Jharal Yow Yeh to make it 24-0 on 33 minutes – even the most ardent of Blues supporters were fearing the worst.
“It’s like watching a game of tennis where one player forgot his racquet,” former Blues coach Phil Gould quipped. – AAP