Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i was sent off in a disastrous State of Origin debut as Queensland stunned NSW 38-10 in the series opener at Homebush on Wednesday night.
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Sua'ali'i, the youngest player on the field, nailed Reece Walsh with a late shoulder flush to the head in the eighth minute that left Queensland's fullback lying senseless on the turf.
As trainers tended to the stricken Walsh, referee Ashley Klein had no hesitation in sending Sua'ali'i straight from the field.
It was the earliest dismissal of a player in Origin history.
Walsh was ruled to have suffered a category-one concussion and was ruled out of the match.
The towering 20-year-old was a controversial selection in the first place, given that he is switching to rugby union at season's end, and he would now appear to be facing a significant suspension for the ugly incident.
Even before Sua'ali'i was marched, the home team were under extreme pressure, having conceded the opening try of the game, when Maroons hooker Ben Hunt scored after a dummy-half dart from skipper Daly Cherry-Evans.
Without their right-side centre, the Blues faced an almost-impossible task.
After a Valentine Holmes penalty increased the visitors' lead to 8-0, NSW hit back with a try by recalled fullback James Tedesco, after a Jarome Luai grubber kick.
But then Queensland, inevitably, started to exploit the numerical advantage down their left edge.
"With [Suaalii] getting sent off we really had to try and be patient and control the game," five-eighth Tom Dearden said.
"I thought we invited them into the game a few times but it was good that we found our footy and got the job done."
Maroons flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow switched from centre to fullback to replace Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo came off the bench to play centre, and 18th man Felise Kaufusi was activated to join the interchange rotation.
Tabuai-Fidow raced away for tries in the 19th and 24th minutes, prompting NSW coach Michael Maguire to switch left-side centre Stephen Crichton to the right edge in an attempt to stem the bleeding.
The defending champions had forged a 20-6 lead by half-time.
NSW bravely made a contest of it, after winger Zac Lomax scored from a Nicho Hynes bomb three minutes after the resumption, but eventually they were overwhelmed in the home straight.
"It was a tough night," NSW captain Jake Trbojevic said.
"Not too much went to plan. There was a period there (after half-time) where the boys showed a lot of fight so we'll take something from that."
Tries by Hunt (67th minute), winger Xavier Coates (71st) and Tabuai-Fidow's hat-trick in the 79th ensured Queensland can wrap the series up at the MCG on June 26.
Cobbo selection a masterstroke for Maroons
Queensland coach Billy Slater and his fellow selectors have pulled a masterstroke by choosing outside back Selwyn Cobbo on the bench.
It will go down as one of the wisest and most astute decisions in State of Origin history after the Maroons' 38-10 win over NSW in Sydney on Wednesday night.
When fullback Reece Walsh was knocked senseless and ruled out of the match with a category one HIA in the eighth minute, and NSW's Joseph Suaalii sent off, it was Cobbo's time to shine.
He shone like the brightest sun at centre in a display that had shades of legend Greg Inglis about it. Starting centre Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow switched to centre and carved up in a three-try extravaganza.
From the first day of Maroons camp through to game day Slater, his coaching staff and players were peppered with questions about the thinking behind selecting Cobbo on the bench. Evan Maroons great Paul Vautin questioned the move. Slater did not flinch and said there was a plan in place.
"He will get on the field at some stage," Slater said on several occasions.
It turned out Slater was well ahead of the curve.
At his first press conference Slater made the point that in the previous six Origins the Maroons has lost an outside back on four occasions.
That statistic now stands at five from seven. This time, as opposed to the previous occasions, Queensland had a contingency.
The Maroons have been able to count on veterans Daly Cherry-Evans and Ben Hunt to deliver in Origin in recent series.
Cherry-Evans had another stellar captain's knock, setting up the first try for Hunt with a scoot down the short side and landing a 40/20 when his side needed in the second half. He iced the game with an intercept, a break and kick for Xavier Coates to score.
Hooker Hunt supported his captain with valour. He backed him up to score his first try and broke the Blues' backs with an individual effort in the second half.
Hunt and Cherry-Evans are now Origin legends in their own right for the Maroons.They have not lost the opening game of a series under Slater's tenure. It says plenty about their stellar preparation, albeit against a 12-man NSW side for 72 minutes.
Queensland have been masters at recognising past greats and making the players aware of the immense legacy they represent and must honour as torch bearers.
During camp the players were shown highlight reels of late Maroons powerhouse forward Carl Webb. Prop Reuben Cotter said he got goosebumps watching the clips and added that the players were ready to "run through brick walls" as a result. They did exactly that.
AT A GLANCE
QUEENSLAND 38 bt NSW 10 at Homebush, Sydney. Crowd: 77,214.
KEY MOMENT
Joseph Suaalii's send-off for a late and high shot on Reece Walsh after just eight minutes sent NSW into a tailspin. Selwyn Cobbo proved a more than handy replacement and his destruction helped exposed a 12-man Blues side who understandably wilted against a Maroons side boasting a numerical advantage.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Skipper and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans led from the front for the Maroons. He flew out of dummy half to put Ben Hunt in for the Maroons' first try, his 40/20 put paid to NSW's attempted fightback early in the second half and when he picked off Isaah Yeo's pass and bolted down the field to send Xavier Coates in, the result was officially beyond doubt at 32-10 with 10 minutes to play.
TALKING POINT
What does Michael Maguire do to spark the Blues in Origin II in Melbourne later this month? Maguire's recalled fullback James Tedesco was outstanding, Suaalii may be lucky to play again this series after his send-off which thwarted the Blues following their decision not to carry an outside back on the bench. Elsewhere, Nicho Hynes struggled to control the game at halfback, while prop Jake Trbojevic played only 29 minutes in a quiet first game as captain. Kotoni Staggs, Mitch Moses, Wayde Egan and Cody Walker are among the Blues players injured for game one who will be available for game two on June 26, should Maguire look to make changes.
KEY STATS
NSW have now lost five of the previous six series openers played in Sydney. The Blues' last Origin I win on home soil came back in 2013. The win was also Queensland's biggest in Sydney in Origin's 45-year history. When he crossed in the final two minutes, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow became the first player to score a hat-trick of Origin tries since Val Holmes in game three of the 2017 series.
INJURIES
Reece Walsh (Queensland) - concussion
- With AAP
