Queensland have defeated New South Wales 23-22 in a tightly contested U19 State of Origin clash at Sunshine Coast Stadium, sealed by a clutch second-half response after withstanding a late NSW comeback.
The Maroons controlled the early stages, racing to a 13-6 lead at halftime off the back of first-half tries to Cooper Bai and Zac Garton. A 34th-minute field goal from Coby Black proved critical, nudging Queensland’s lead beyond a converted try right before the break.
Black then extended the lead himself in the 36th minute with a well-timed try, putting Queensland up 17-6. But New South Wales found their rhythm shortly after, scoring three tries in quick succession, through Stanley-Traill, Hopwood and Allen, to turn the game on its head and lead 22-17.
With the game slipping, Queensland regrouped. In the 63rd minute, Prestyn Laine-Sietu crashed over to level the scores, before Javon Andrews nailed the conversion to reclaim the lead. That 23-22 margin would hold for the final seven minutes, despite pressure from the Blues.
Head coach Darius Boyd was pleased with the result and the preparation that led to it.
“The boys worked hard all week and really bought into everything we were trying to do,” Boyd said.
“That one-point win doesn’t happen without the effort they put in during camp.”
It was a composed and disciplined Queensland performance for most of the game, and when the contest got tight late, they responded with the key play that mattered.
