(VIDEO) NSW Stuns Queensland 30-12 in State of Origin Epic Decider as Cleary Wins Wally Lewis Medal

BRISBANE, Australia — New South Wales produced one of the great State of Origin boilovers, defeating Queensland 30-12 in Wednesday night's deciding Game 3 at Suncorp Stadium to claim the 2026 series 2-1, silencing a raucous Brisbane crowd that had expected the Maroons to reclaim the shield on home soil.

The result capped a remarkable turnaround for a NSW team that had entered the decider under significant pressure, having been outplayed in the series opener at Accor Stadium in Sydney before suffering a heavy defeat in Melbourne in Game 2, a loss that included conceding 36 second-half points and saw coach Laurie Daley pilloried across Australian media in the lead-up to the deciding match.

The hero of the night was halfback Nathan Cleary, who scored two tries and converted five from five kicks, a performance that earned him the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series. Cleary entered the decider with his Origin reputation under scrutiny after missing an Origin-record 10 tackles during NSW's heavy Game 2 defeat, despite already holding four NRL premiership rings with the Penrith Panthers. He approached the match with a simple, one-word strategy. "We were written off. We came together as a group and rallied around each other," Cleary told Nine after the match, reflecting on the pressure the squad had faced heading into the decider.

NSW controlled the contest from the opening exchanges, with Cleary steering the team through a dominant opening stanza alongside halves partner Mitchell Moses. The Blues drew first blood when Cleary himself scored, stepping through three Maroons defenders to open the scoring, before a well-worked passage of play involving Liam Martin, Stephen Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase set up Cleary for his second try shortly after, pushing the score to 0-12. A third NSW try followed when Cleary stripped the ball from Queensland winger Selwyn Cobbo, with forward Cameron Murray crashing over two plays later to extend the margin to 0-18 and stun the sold-out Suncorp crowd into silence.

Queensland finally found a way onto the scoreboard when Cameron Munster sparked an attacking raid that saw Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow barrel over in the corner for his 14th career Origin try, cutting into the deficit before halftime. NSW held an 18-4 lead at the break, a scoreline that reflected the Blues' dominance despite Queensland holding a majority of possession and completing a higher percentage of their attacking sets across the opening 40 minutes. The first half was further marred by a heavy collision between Queensland's Briton Nikora and NSW captain James Tedesco, which forced Tedesco from the field for a grade-two head injury assessment and sparked a heated confrontation between the two sides shortly before the interval.

The second half brought continued Queensland pressure but further NSW resilience and composure. Despite Maroons errors opening the door for additional NSW opportunities, the Blues extended their advantage through the closing stages of the match, ultimately putting the result beyond doubt. A dangerous tackle awarded Cleary the opportunity to slot a long-range penalty goal, before forward Hudson Young sealed the emphatic victory late in the match, diving over to complete the scoring and lock in the 30-12 final result.

The win marked a significant milestone for Daley, who becomes just the third Blues coach in Origin history to win multiple series as head coach, joining Phil Gould, who won six series, and Brad Fittler, who won three. Daley was visibly emotional following the match, shedding tears as reporters sought comment on his coaching future, though he remained tight-lipped about what comes next for him in the role. The victory also marked just the fourth time New South Wales have won a decider on Queensland soil in Brisbane, and the seventh time overall across 25 attempts at winning an Origin decider.

Centre Bradman Best was singled out for an outstanding attacking performance throughout the match, while back-rower Liam Martin brought his trademark physicality in defense, repeatedly disrupting Queensland's attacking structure alongside fellow forward Hudson Young. Daley made five changes to his starting side for the decider, with all five having a notable impact on the result, according to postgame analysis of the performance.

For Queensland, the result brings a disappointing end to a series in which the Maroons had appeared to hold the upper hand after their dominant Game 2 win in Melbourne. Coach Billy Slater's side struggled to maintain composure at key moments in the decider, with several handling errors and missed opportunities compounding the difficulty of overturning NSW's early lead. Queensland also lost prop Lindsay Collins to a first-half concussion, forcing a reshuffling of the interchange bench, while young playmaker Sam Walker briefly left the field for a head knock in the second half, with Kalyn Ponga's halves partner Reece Walsh introduced into the contest as a replacement option.

Wednesday's result closes out the 2026 State of Origin series with New South Wales reclaiming the shield after Queensland's win in the previous series, delivering what commentators have already described as one of the more significant Origin boilovers in recent memory given the scale of criticism directed at Daley and his squad heading into the decisive match. Cleary's performance, capped by the Wally Lewis Medal, further cements his standing as one of the competition's premier players, adding an Origin series Man of the Series honor to a rugby league résumé already headlined by four NRL premierships with Penrith.

With the series now concluded, attention turns to the fallout for both camps, including ongoing questions about Daley's future as NSW coach following his second series triumph, and how Queensland regroups after failing to defend home advantage in a decider many had expected the Maroons to control given their dominant showing in Game 2.