New South Wales deny Queensland Origin clean-sweep

Josh Addo-Carr scored a superb solo try in New South Wales' victory, chipping and regathering to punish Queensland

New South Wales denied series winners Queensland a State of Origin clean-sweep with victory in the third and final game of the 2023 instalment.

The second-half was a tighter affair, with both sides locked in arm-wrestle before Best added his crucial second.

It was enough to hand the Blues a home win in Sydney and avoid a whitewash.

Having lost the opener in Adelaide and then been humbled at Queensland's Suncorp fortress to lose the series, this was the perfect response from the Blues and their under-fire coach Brad Fittler.

Fittler's gambles, such as overhauling the halves pairing and bringing in debutants in the shape of Newcastle centre Best and South Sydney back-rower Keaon Koloamatangi, paid off handsomely to deliver a blow to the dominant Maroons.

Stand-off Cody Walker showed the value of another Souths combination with lock Cameron Murray in steering the Blues around, while he and Parramatta scrum-half Mitchell Moses continually bit into the line to create space that had been lacking throughout the other performances.

Their combination continually punctured the Queensland right-edge defence, with Addo-Carr's remarkable solo score - a chip ahead and regather - coming from one such devastating shift.

Both of Best's tries were in the same mould, with Walker supplying the killer pass for his first and captain Tedesco shredding the defence before passing inside for the matchwinner.

To'o's score came from a wonderful Koloamatangi tip-on, after Addo-Carr had burst down the opposite flank to create the platform.

Billy Slater's Maroons showed plenty of evidence as to why they were series winners, with props Lindsay Collins and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui bending the Blues line back, while Tabuai-Fidow further bolstered his reputation with an all-action display.

He supplied the tap-back for Fifita's plunge over after Daly Cherry-Evans lofted a kick to the corner, while replicating Addo-Carr's brilliance to grubber in behind and dot down.

For all their efforts though, the Blues had their number defensively and deserved this victory, but the fact the winner's shield was presented to the Queenslanders on 'enemy' turf will have made up for the disappointment.

New South Wales: Tedesco; To'o, Crichton, Best, Addo-Carr; Walker, Moses; J. Trbojevic, Cook, Campbell-Gillard, Martin, Koloamatangi, Murray

Interchanges: Yeo, J. Saifiti, Robson, Gutherson

Queensland: Brimson; Coates, Holmes, Tabuai-Fidow, Taulagi; Munster, Cherry-Evans; Cotter, Grant, Fa'asuamaleaui, Fifita, Nanai, Carrigan

Interchanges: Hunt, Collins, Fotuaika, Horsburgh

Referee: Ashley Klein

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