Blues 18
Maroons 8
New South Wales ensured this year's State of Origin will go down to the wire with a courageous win in front of almost 82,000 fans at Sydney's Olympic stadium last night.
The Blues were relentless as they overcame the Maroons with an up-tempo blitzkrieg to end a four-match losing streak.
Returning son Anthony Minichiello was the hero, scoring the match-sealer three minutes from time.
Recap: Origin II play by play
The Blues were clinging to a 12-8 lead and looking to avoid a sixth straight series loss when five-eighth Jamie Soward danced his way through the Queensland defence before finding Minichiello - a late call-up for his first Origin since 2007 - in support.
Minichiello may have taken the plaudits, but there were plenty of heroes for the Blues.
Captain Paul Gallen produced a mountainous 234-metre performance up front, and 19-year-old centre Will Hopoate celebrated his Origin debut with a stunning try which gave the Blues a lead they did not relinquish.
The series-tying win ensured the finale in Brisbane on July 6 will be a memorable one as the Blues look to win their first series since 2005.
Gallen got the first hit-up he publicly craved before the game, but the traditional Origin ferocity quickly made way for blinding speed.
Johnathan Thurston gave the Maroons an early 2-0 lead with a penalty goal.
Twenty-two minutes later, Cameron Smith darted out from dummy half to cross from five metres out for a try converted by Thurston to put the Maroons out 8-0.
The insertion of Kurt Gidley off the bench breathed life into NSW's charge, and the once impregnable Maroons wall was soon littered with holes.
The march downfield ended with Mitchell Pearce kicking for the corner and Luke Lewis outleaping Billy Slater to score in the corner.
Soward landed a conversion from the sideline to close the gap to two.
Having completed 19 sets without an error over the opening 40 minutes, the Maroons came up with two inside the opening five minutes of the second half.
Slater saved their bacon when he cleaned up a Soward grubber, but he could nothing to deny Hopoate, who contorted his body, arm and the ball to touch down in the corner.
Another Soward pearler from the sideline pushed NSW out by four.
Michael Ennis gave away a blocking penalty to give the Maroons another chance, but the Blues were not to be denied as Minichiello ensured a fairytale Origin return.
- AAP
