Somehow, the New South Wales Blues lead the 2026 State of Origin Series following a chaotic Game 1.

Despite their very best efforts to lose the game, Laurie Daley's men head into Melbourne in three weeks with a chance to win back the Origin shield.

Given the way the game was tracking for 55 minutes, I can't believe I am typing those words.

Happy to. Elated even. Shocked doesn't even begin to describe the feelings at full time for the Blues, their staff and the crowd at Accor Stadium.

We will address the elephants in the room in a moment, but James Tedesco's 78th minute try sent a packed (and soaked) Accor Stadium into raptures.

Nathan Cleary buried his Origin demons in a Man of the Match performance.

The Blues recorded the largest comeback in Origin history. 20 points? No worries ... right?

Let's be honest, you can't talk about the Origin opener without at least acknowledging the Kalyn Ponga send off.

Right or wrong, and that's a debate for 30 other threads today, it had a huge bearing on the game, the result and I dare suggest the future of a fair few wearing sky blue last night.

Despite the cheers in my lounge room at 10pm when Nathan Cleary put that winning conversion through, I can't help but think that it should have been very different.

The fact remains that Queensland were the far, far better team up until about two minutes prior to Ponga's dismissal.

They lead 20-0 after a blistering start. Hudson Young's try before half time delivered belief to Blues fans, but the game was seemingly been played on a massive tilt. QLD seemed to be running downhill for 35 or more minutes.

The 20-6 scoreline meant that over the past two Origin first halves, QLD have lead by a combined 40 points to 6. Both games were hosted in Sydney!

Origin 2 last year saw the Maroons lead 26-6 so acros the past three Origins the first half stands at QLD 66-12.

That slow start is something that urgently needs to be addressed, and remedied, as I believe NSW have used up all their luck for this year in that one game.

As hard as it is to type, as a Blues fan, that game was headed toward only one result prior to Ponga's brain snap.

Not to say that the Blues didn't deserve their advantage. That tackle was on Ponga and Ponga alone. The Blues just rode their luck and pressed their advantage. The sign of a good team, I suppose.

James Tedesco was one, miracle, catch away from being dropped for Origin Two.

He was very, very poor prior to the match-winning moment. He blew two tries and was out of position for multiple QLD tries.

Don't get me wrong, champions overcome and win games. James Tedesco is the very personification of the word.

Again though, if Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow makes that final catch, Dylan Edwards is playing Origin Two.

Stephen Crichton, who was horribly out of form prior to his selection, had a nightmare 60 minutes.

He failed to threaten out wide, he was stung in defence and he gifted the Maroons the opener with a horrible play the ball error.

In that last 15 minutes though, with a little extra space, he had spiders on him and set up a worldly try for star rookie Ethan Strange.

Nathan Cleary was one Tedesco catch away from being lambasted and shunned, Mitchell Pearce style.

I already had the headlines and front pages in my head: "Cleary can't beat 12 men". "Cleary beaten by rookie".

He was 100 per cent going to be made the scapegoat despite turning in arguably his best Origin performance to date. Sam Walker would have been an of the match if Tedesco doesn't score.

Again, there's a lot of "what if Tedesco didn't score" in this but the pure luck involved still has me shaking my head.

I am convinced that if QLD go on to win that game, as they were on track to do, that Laurie Daley wouldn't have seen Game Two.

He certainly shouldn't have.

I'm still very much driving the "Daley should still be sacked despite the win" bandwagon.

Kotoni Staggs ran out for his first game in three weeks last night and started painfully slowly. He was out of position on the kick chase that lead to a break by QLD, which lead to a try.

Much like his Blues centre partner Crichton, he was left standing as his opposition centre scored the easiest of tries behind him.

Mitch Barnett, who has started one game this season and averages under 40 minutes per game, was 15 metres out of position for Tom Flegler's try.

Addin Fonua-Blake was limited to one run in his first stint.

Jacob Saifiti, despite being the one prop named on the bench, didn't see a single run, tackle or second of action.

Meanwhile Jackson Ford, the form prop of the competition and a regular 80 minute player for the Warriors, was sat across the Tasman watching on.

Casey McLean, only brought on thanks to the extra sub allowed due to the Ponga send off, was absolutely flawless. He had to be there from the start.

The Blues won in spite of Laurie Daley, not because of him.

Again, if Tedesco doesn't score that last minute winner, Daley is being torched by all and sunder for both his horror show selections and the inability to beat 12 men.

If QLD lead 20-0 on Origin Two, they dead set go on to win that game by 40.

There is almost no chance the Blues will be gifted (rightly or wrongly) a one man advantage for 20 minutes again.

I will forget the circumstances within a few weeks and remember only the result, but right now I cannot stress how close we all are to a very different world today for NSW.

Luckily, for all involved, Tedesco caught that ball and scored!

Blues 1-0 baby!