New South Wales 24-44 Queensland (FT)
Live updates:
10:15PM AEST - Would Queensland have played like this in Sydney if they had 13 men for 80 minutes? We'll never know, but we did suspect amongst ourselves that they showed enough during that first 50 minutes in Game 1 to suggest they should have been warm favourites tonight. Few would have anticipated it to be this one-sided, however.
They will take an enormous run of momentum into the series decider in Brisbane, just as New South Wales did two years ago when they won 38-18 in Melbourne before taking out game three in Brisbane. Anything is possible with State of Origin and that's why we love it so.
Thank you for joining us for our live coverage this evening and we'll do it all again in three weeks when a series winner is crowned!
10:10PM AEST - The Queensland spine was simply outstanding tonight. Harry Grant, Sam Walker, Cameron Munster and Kalyn Ponga all magnificent. Queensland forward Lindsay Collins and back Kalyn Ponga both told SEN that there was nothing special in the half-time talk from Billy Slater, which appeared to have been the case as the Maroons came out from the sheds in a rampant and ruthless mood.
Selwyn Cobbo makes an excellent case to be the Player of the Match tonight:
10:05PM AEST - New South Wales continue to attack admirably in the final few minutes but Nathan Cleary knocks the ball on with two minutes to play. Queensland now looking for the half-century. They won't get there but this is an absolute drubbing! Suncorp Stadium will host a series decider in three weeks.
10:00PM AEST - Kotoni Staggs returns from the sin bin but it's all way too late. Doubt we'll be seeing him start in game three after a dreadfully error-ridden performance tonight. His opening try doesn't go close to making up for the rest of it. Mitch Barnett gets through a tired defence to score under the posts but there's barely a celebration from the Blues. Understandably so. Cleary slots the conversion and maintains the perfect kicking record for both he and Walker.
9:55PM AEST - Party time for Queensland at the MCG as Selwyn Cobbo goes over for his third despite needing intervention from the Bunker. Queensland have scored three tries since the 60-minute mark.
9:45PM AEST - Things go from bad to worse as a 12-man New South Wales give away the ball as a short kickoff from James Tedesco fails to go ten metres. Lindsay Collins pops the champagne by busting through the line to score after supporting a tremendous dummy from Harry Grant, who saw space opened up by Nathan Cleary in defence.
91,671 fans are here in attendance - a State of Origin record for the MCG.
9:40PM AEST - Queensland quickly defuse any chance of New South Wales establishing some momentum by hitting back almost immediately. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow gets onto the end of a cute dribble kick and a bit of a fight breaks out downfield after Kotoni Staggs hits Ponga high and late. It was an attempted tackle that went horribly wrong Kotoni Staggs gets reported and sent to the bin for ten minutes. He'll be back with six minutes to play. Reece Walsh is ripping off his bib on the sideline with Ponga likely to soon take the rest of the night off. Ethan Strange is on for Addin Fonua-Blake.
9:35PM AEST - The drama continues as Lindsay Collins drops the ball just after the kickoff. A knock-on is awarded but Queensland challenge on the basis of believing the ball was stripped but the Bunker judges it to be a loose ball and rules in favour of New South Wales, who get a scrum feed ten metres out with 22 minutes to go. They score from it through who else but Mark Nawaqanitawase after he wrong-foots Selwyn Cobbo! Nathan Cleary slots through the conversion from the sideline to keep the Blues in it with 19 minutes to go.
9:30PM AEST - The MCG ROARS as Jojo Fifita leaps up to grab another kick from Munster! Fifita judges the trajectory of the ball to perfection on the right wing. It was almost as though To'o didn't even see Fifita coming, such was his lack of commitment to the contest. Grant, Walker and Ponga all had a big hand in the buildup to that try. The Maroons are running all over the top of New South Wales - this may have happened a couple of weeks ago if they had 13 after half-time... Queensland are now three scores ahead after Walker ices another conversion.
9:25PM AEST - Queensland AGAIN! They win themselves another set ten metres out courtesy of a New South Wales knock-on and the Blues don't even get a tackle in owing to the immense speed of Kalyn Ponga on the left. A delightful no-look pass from Sam Walker sets it up. Walker kicks from just inches inside the sideline... AND NAILS IT. Both kickers have perfect records tonight. Walker has been ice cold in front of 90,000 fans tonight.
9:20PM AEST - TRYYYYY QUEENSLAND and it was brilliant from Munster and co! Queensland regained the ball from a fifth tackle bomb through Jojo Fifita, Max Plath did well to keep it alive with an overhead pass to Cameron Munster who saw a four-man overlap to his left. He chipped it with precision cross-field into the lap of Selwyn Cobbo. Sam Walker slots the very important conversion.
9:10PM AEST - The teams are making their way back up the steep player race from the basement to start the second half. It'll be Queensland to kick off. NSW make about 12 metres progress before their fifth tackle and Cobbo sets the tempo by getting to the halfway line from the kick return.
9:05PM AEST - By far the most impactful man of the game so far has been a debutant who is no stranger to dominating in Melbourne, having scored four tries for the Roosters in one game across the road at AAMI Park last year:
8:55PM AEST - Queensland were right on the ropes with just one minute to play in the half but they fought hard to shut down what was New South Wales' final set of the first half. New South Wales lead 12-8 at the break.
Here are the half-time stats:
8:50PM AEST - Max Plath has stepped in as five-eighth with Munster off the field under HIA protocols. Queensland come close to levelling despite Munster's absence. Brian To'o just beats Toia to the ball in the end zone - but Toia had the last touch as he pats the ball over the dead ball line to hand the ball back to NSW.
8:45PM AEST - New South Wales reject the chance to kick for two after receiving a penalty and it almost pays off after Nawaqanitawase stretches out his right arm attempting to score a try, but he places it down on the sideline. Selwyn Cobbo with a try saving tackle there in the 30th minute of the match.
8:40PM AEST - Queensland score off a fifth tackle! A beautiful chain of passes involving Harry Grant, Cameron Munster, Sam Walker and Max Plath who sets Trent Loiero up beside the posts. Plath gets the assist but there was plenty of understanding amongst the team in that movement of the ball. They make Kotoni Staggs pay for his error. Referee Ashley Klein has sent Cameron Munster off to see the independent doctor for a HIA. Reuben Cotter comes on.
8:35PM AEST - Staggs makes another error during a charge down the right inside their own half, spilling the ball following a Munster tackle. Queensland get a fresh set 40 out.
8:30PM AEST - New South Wales are banging the door down after two Six Agains as Tino Faasuamaleaui heads down the tunnel for a potential HIA. Moments later, Marky Mark crosses the line on the right wing to extend the Blues' lead! He looks absolutely elated to have scored on debut and who can blame him. Cleary rebounded his own dribble kick and had the vision to pass across Staggs to Nawaqanitawase. Cleary converts from only a few feet inside the sideline.
12-2 to the Blues after 22 minutes.
8:25PM AEST - Mark Nawaqanitawase comes close to instrumenting a second try for the Blues, batting a fifth tackle bomb beyond the try line for the Maroons to mop up. 14 minutes gone. A brief melee breaks out after Hudson Young clotheslines Sam Walker and brings him to ground. Queensland penetrate the NSW ten again from the ensuing penalty and a dribble kick goes over the deadball line for NSW to restart. Trent Loiero has been subbed on for Tommy Flegler.
8:20PM AEST - Staggs undoes all of his good work by passing the ball to touch, trying to find Nawaqanitawase. Queensland get a set 30 out in the 13th minute. Brian To'o and Jojo Fifita contest a fifth tackle kick on the right side of the field and the Bunker is called upon to determine who was in possession of the ball as it went down. A Queensland knock-on is the decision.
8:15PM AEST - New South Wales open the try scoring in the eighth minute after a disastrous blunder at the kickoff! Flegler fumbles the first pass from the kick receive, Mark Nawaqanitawase cleans it up, charges with defenders either side of him, frees an arm to lay it off for Kotoni Staggs who does the rest. Cleary converts directly over the black dot. That's Staggs' maiden Origin try.
8:10PM AEST - Queensland got into the New South Wales ten after earning an extra set of six before picking up a penalty as Nathan Cleary gave Harry Grant a chop of the arm attempting to strip the ball. Queensland opt to take the two points from inside 20 metres.
8:05PM AEST - The Blues kick things off at the MCG - Game 2 is underway!
There's contrasting experience and output at the back of both formations today:
8:00PM AEST - Melbourne Storm's own Cameron Munster leads the Maroons out and they get the lion's share of the crowd applause. In fact, boos can be heard as New South Wales emerge, despite plenty of blue shirts around the seating bowl.
7:55PM AEST - New South Wales got away with Game 1 on home soil, beginning a remarkable comeback off the back of Kalyn Ponga's sending off when the Maroons were in control of the game with a 20-6 lead and a near-perfect set completion rate.
The noise is becoming quite enormous at the MCG now as the fans get revved up by some pre-game pyrotechnics and a light show. The players are heading out onto the famous venue now.
New South Wales took a 1-0 lead last year and fans of both states will remember what happened from there: Queensland won a thriller 26-24 in Perth and then overran them in Sydney.
7:50PM AEST - With ten minutes to go until kickoff in Melbourne, get yourself up to date on the form and player news with our match preview here.
There are no late changes for either side with Billy Slater fielding his initially selected 1-19 and NSW head coach Laurie Daley ignoring calls to make last minute alterations to his side.
7:40PM AEST - An enormous crowd of about 90,000 is expected to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground for what will be the seventh State of Origin game in history here, the last coming in 2024.
The Blues are on a four-game winning streak here that began in 1997 and extended through to 2015, 2018 and finally 2024.
7:35PM AEST - Good evening all and welcome to Flashscore's live coverage of Game 2 of the State of Origin from the MCG! Check in throughout the night for all of the latest updates and information as New South Wales look to secure an unassailable 2-0 lead.