2025 State of Origin | Match Highlights | Blues v Maroons | Game 3

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The 2025 State of Origin Game 3 served up a gripping finale to the series, with both the Blues and Maroons throwing everything into a contest that swung on momentum shifts and standout individual brilliance. From the opening whistle the pace was frenetic, Queensland targeting the middle third with direct carries while New South Wales tested the edges early through rapid-fire ball movement. The opening points came off a well-executed shift to the right as Daly Cherry-Evans put Valentine Holmes into space, Holmes stepping inside the cover to cross in the fifth minute. New South Wales struck back almost immediately; a repeat set earned through a pinpoint Nathan Cleary grubber allowed Isaah Yeo to crash over beside the posts, squaring the ledger and igniting the crowd.

The middle stanza of the first half became an arm-wrestle dominated by defensive grit. Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan traded monstrous carries, each side turning away multiple attacking raids inside the red zone. The deadlock was broken when Latrell Mitchell produced a trademark intercept on his own 20-metre line, sprinting 80 metres for a momentum-shifting try that nudged the Blues ahead 12-6. Queensland responded via a perfectly weighted Ben Hunt chip that Reece Walsh collected millimetres from the dead-ball line, the fullback flicking a miracle offload for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to dot down and level the scores as the teams headed to the sheds at 12-all.

The second half opened with New South Wales asserting territorial dominance on the back of Cleary’s kicking game. Sustained pressure paid off when Jarome Luai dummied and sliced through fatigued defenders before offloading to James Tedesco, whose acrobatic finish reclaimed the lead for the Blues. Moments later, a Queensland error in yardage gifted NSW prime field position; Stephen Crichton capitalised, leaping above two defenders to claim a Cleary bomb and extend the margin to 10 points. Yet the Maroons, true to Origin DNA, refused to fade. A barnstorming Cameron Munster line-break set up field position for a crafty hook-and-go by Hunt, narrowing the gap to 22-18 with 12 minutes on the clock.

The closing stages were a test of composure. Queensland peppered the Blues’ line, but desperate last-ditch tackles from Liam Martin and Brian To’o kept the scoreboard intact. With five minutes remaining, New South Wales iced the victory when Daniel Saifiti powered over beside the uprights following a short-side raid engineered by Luai. Cleary’s conversion pushed the score to 28-18, leaving the Maroons needing two converted tries in the dying minutes. Despite a final flurry sparked by a Walsh 40-20 kick, the Blues held firm, securing the match 28-18 and clinching the 2025 State of Origin series two games to one. The highlights reel showcased vintage Origin drama: bone-rattling defence, long-range tries, and individual flashes of genius that will be replayed for years to come.

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