Queensland stun NSW to take back State of Origin shield
Scott Bailey, AAP • July 10th, 2025 12:11 am

Cameron Munster (c), who lost his father days earlier, led the Maroons to a stirring victory | Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Queensland have added another chapter to the Maroons' State of Origin folklore, shocking NSW with a 24-12 victory at Accor Stadium to win back the shield.
In a state of chaos a month ago after losing game one, the Maroons were dominant at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night after also stunning NSW in Perth last month.
Halfback Tom Dearden was brilliant in both attack and defence in the biggest game of his life, scoring twice and having a hand in another.
Rookie centre Robert Toia was also among a cast of stars for the Maroons, led by inspirational captain Cameron Munster four days after his father's death.
So disciplined were Queensland, the Maroons completed their first 30 sets and took a 20-0 halftime lead against a disappointing Blues.
Queensland's 1995 series whitewash with Paul Vautin's neville nobodies rightly holds top spot in famous backs-to-the-wall Maroons effort.
The 2020 victory with the so-called "worst Queensland team in history" is a close second.

Tom Dearden had an inspirational game for the victorious Maroons | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
But the 2025 effort will also now rank alongside those.
Billy Slater's men looked shot after dropping the series opener, resulting in captain and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans being axed mid-series.
But in the weeks since they have become the first Maroons side to win back-to-back on the road after going 1-0 down at home.
Tino Fa'asuamaleaui was dominant up front early, while his veteran front-row partner Josh Papalii also held his own after being called out of Origin retirement.
Queensland's most unlikely bolter Gehamat Shibasaki laid on the Maroons' first try, after he brushed through a Zac Lomax tackle to put Xavier Coates over.

Xavier Coates (r) crosses over for the first try of the match | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Then it was Toia's turn to have an impact, splitting the Blues defence in two when he flung an offload out the back as he was being pushed into touch.
That Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to burst into a gaping hole and put Dearden across in support play.
Dearden was again influential in the Maroons' next, poking his nose through before Harry Grant spun through four defenders out of dummy-half on the next play.
Toia and Dearden then produced the two biggest defensive moments of the second half, with try-savers on Angus Crichton and Brian To'o shortly after the break.

The shell-shocked Blues looked disjointed as they lost the series after winning 1-0 | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
NSW eventually got on the board in the 54th minute through Stephen Crichton and Dearden and To'o traded tries late, but NSW attack was otherwise off as poor last-tackle options killed the hosts.
Nowhere was that more obvious than when Jarome Luai gave away a 20m tap with a kick that floated into the in-goal early, after a Blues attacking raid.
Queensland went down field, got a penalty and kicked 2-0 ahead on the next set as they began their run towards a famous victory.