The Queensland Maroons have taken a narrow four-point lead into the halftime break of the opening game in the 2023 State of Origin series over the NSW Blues after a stop-start first half at the Adelaide Oval.

The Blues had the first attacking raid of the game, but in a sign of things to come, their attack was clunky with the Maroons ultimately leading 10 points to 6 at the break.

It was a trend that stuck with the Blues right throughout the first half, but they have avoided a big gap at the break with Queensland too strugling to be clinical.

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Despite that, it was a pair of tries in as many minutes against some weak Blues' defence which put the Maroons on the board and into the early lead.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow would score the opening try of the game, crashing over off a Cameron Munster grubber, with the Blues rushing up and leaving yawning gaps in their own defence.

The very next set, the Blues defence on the opening side of the ground would completely switch off, with the Maroons scoring through Selwyn Cobbo almost untouched.

The slow-moving Blues' defence would eventually straighten things up, with the next 20 minutes going into a patchy, stop-start style of game as both teams struggled to get things going.

The Blues in particular bombed opportunities, not able to capitalise even as Tom Gilbert was taken from the field with a dislocated shoulder that has ruled him out of the remainder of the game, forcing Reuben Cotter to defend out of position in the second-row.

New South Wales would eventually score just after the 30-minute mark through Liam Martin who crashed over through Cotter off a short ball from Jarome Luai.

More issues for the Maroons would follow in the final minutes of the first half with David Fifita taken for a head injury assessment, the result of which isn't known at the halftime bell.

The Maroons were evidently fatiguing towards halfway, forced to do plenty of defence with the Blues dominating territory, but despite more opportunities, New South Wales couldn't find their way over the line, with the Maroons holding a slender lead at the break in Adelaide.

Match summary

Queensland Maroons 10 (Tries: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Selwyn Cobbo; Goals: Valentine Holmes 1/2) lead New South Wales Blues 6 (Try: Liam Martin; Goal: Nathan Cleary 1/1)