PNG’s Golden Jubilee to Mark Arrival of “People’s Balus”

The New South Wales Blues secured a strong 18-6 victory over the Queensland Maroons in a fiercely contested State of Origin encounter at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Despite fine weather and good ground conditions, the Maroons struggled to break through the Blues’ resolute defense.

The Blues opened the scoring early with a penalty goal from Nathan Cleary in the 9th minute. This set the tone for a dominant first-half performance. Zac Lomax crossed the line twice, in the 24th and 35th minutes, while Brian To'o also scored in the 28th minute to give New South Wales a commanding 14-2 lead at halftime.

Queensland's only points in the first half came from a penalty goal converted by Valentine Holmes in the 39th minute. Although they tried to mount a comeback, the Maroons only managed a single try, scored by Xavier Coates in the 45th minute.

Dylan Edwards sealed the win for the Blues with a try in the 72nd minute. Despite four try attempts, New South Wales was unable to convert any of them, finishing with 0 out of 4 conversions. Queensland also missed their only conversion attempt.

Discipline was a mixed bag for both sides. The Blues saw Brian To'o sent to the sin bin in the 39th minute, while the Maroons managed to stay clear of any sin-bin infractions. However, the Blues’ defense held strong even with a player down, ensuring Queensland didn’t capitalize on the advantage.

With this win, New South Wales gains momentum in the series, while Queensland will need to regroup ahead of the next match. The Maroons will be looking to improve their execution and capitalize on scoring opportunities if they hope to bounce back in the next round. 

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PNG’s Golden Jubilee to Mark Arrival of “People’s Balus”