League: I didn't take a dive, says angry Kennedy

NSW winger Matt King says there is no way Ben Kennedy faked injury in the State of Origin clash with Queensland, and King will bet his house on it.

"I'll bet my home and my car that he didn't go down," King, who scored three tries, said yesterday.

Queensland forward Michael Crocker's 29th-minute blow to Kennedy's head in the Blues' 32-10 win sent the NSW forward to the ground, triggering a minor skirmish.

The incident, which left Crocker on report and led to King scoring one of his three tries, left a sour taste in the mouths of several Queensland players.

The fiery Crocker said: "It's a man's game - that stuff's best kept for soccer.

"If he was legitimately hurt, fair enough. I was surprised, I just thought it was a slap and that he would get straight up."

Kennedy said he was upset at Crocker's comments.

"I don't care what other people think," he said. "There's no way I would take a dive."

And King yesterday agreed.

"He [Kennedy] wouldn't go down for anything less than a high tackle and I'm right behind him," he said.

After a night of celebrations, King should have been nursing a hangover but instead he had goosebumps as critics put his name alongside some of the greats of State of Origin.

The former barman and garbage collector became just the sixth player in Origin history to score three tries in a match as the Blues wrapped up their series win.

"It's a pretty super feeling when you toss my name up against guys like that," King said. "It really gives me goosebumps and it's something I'm pretty proud of."

King joined Chris Anderson (1983) and Ryan Girdler (2000) as the only NSW players to record a hat-trick in Origin.

NSW coach Ricky Stuart awarded King the inaugural Brad Fittler medal.

King said: "I grew up watching State of Origin. It was the three nights in the whole year that I got off doing homework.

"To score a try in State of Origin, I reckon it's something pretty special."

The 24-year-old Storm centre said his return to Melbourne would attract little media or public attention.

"I'll get off the plane, I'll take my [NSW] jacket off and that's it mate," he said.

Queensland skipper Darren Lockyer admitted the record scoreline at Brisbane hurt.

"At 32-0 down it was embarrassing for us."

A gutted Queensland coach, Michael Hagan, would not speculate on his Origin coaching future.

- AAP