Queensland's new captain Cameron Munster has taken aim at the media over the 'jabs' dealt to state coach Billy Slater in recent days.
Slater has been under fire ever since Game 1, where Queensland were trounced by the Blues in Brisbane for the second time in a row - an almost 30-year State of Origin first.
The media storm surrounding Slater and Queensland only picked up after Daly Cherry-Evans was axed despite captaining Game 1 for Game 2.
Munster though said it only motivated he and his teammates to execture the game plan in Perth and take the pressure off his under pressure coach, who he considers a close friend.
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"When we got jabs or blokes in the media having a go at your coach... At the end of the day, he is our coach, he has done everything he can to tick the boxes for us, and we didn't perform for him in Game 1. He got a lot of slack for it and a lot of stuff in the media, and he didn't deserve it," Munster said during the post-match press conference.
"I've played with Bill. He is a champion player and a champion coach and I've had a great relationship with him and still do. We are close mates and when you have someone jabbing at him like that, it hurts me personally.
"I never tell him that, but I'm probably telling him now. I love him. I want to do the best thing for Queensland, and the best thing for him. He isn't doing this for him, he is doing it for Queensland, and he loves Queensland, and that's the reason why he is so passionate.
"When you have someone like that at the top of the helm, you want to play for him."
The skipper said he never spoke to the remainder of his teammates about the issues confronting Slater, but said he simply didn't have to.
"I didn't have to [have a conversation with the players]. The boys would have seen on their phones, media, whatever it was. At the end of the day, when someone is having a having a jab at someone in your own backyard, you stand up on your back and want to get up and fight. We needed to do that tonight, we were backs against the wall, no one gave us a chance and when you have guys nit picking and jabbing at your coach, it's not him, it's the players that go out there," he said.
"He gave us a great game plan, but we didn't execute in Game 1. We did it tonight in the first half, we obviously have to work on things in Game 3, but I'm just so proud of us as a group that we played for him."
Slater, who made an apology for comments made at a press conference the day before the game surrounding former Queensland coach Paul Green, said the last fortnight has not changed who he is, or what it means to be a Queenslander.
"I know the game, I'm in the game, I understand it and sometimes things get pushed to the boundary, but it hasn't influenced how I look at myself or who I am as a person. I'm very comfortable with who I am, I know who I am and I know who these guys are. There has been a real togetherness about the group," Slater said.
"That's what Queenslanders do. They do it together. I'm not talking disrespectul to any other states, but when something happens, they all pull together and look after each other. Whether it's a flood or a cyclone or a bushfire, they all pull together and help each other out."
The game, which saw Queensland run on a 26-6 first half before almost being chased down in the second, was labelled as a 'heart stopper' by the coach, who looked more relieved than happy when the fulltime siren sounded.
"It was a heart stopper. We didn't help ourselves in that second half, but boy there is a whole heap of courage, character and effort. A bit of spirit," Slater said.
"I thought that last ten minutes, to defend our tryline. New South Wales, they were coming to get us, and they are a bloody good team.
"They have got some strike in their footy team, and huge credit to our fellas for turning up and continually turning up. That's the pride I feel for our footy team, and I'm sure five and a half million Queenslanders feel that pride right now as well."
The Maroons will now head to Sydney with a chance to win back the Origin shield they lost last year, and the head coach said it was a massive opportunity for his team.
Their win in Perth was the first for a Queensland side in three attempts, and a series decider in Sydney being won by the men from north of the Tweed would also be a rare feat.
"We have never won over here in Perth [before tonight]. I don't even want to think about the scoreline would add up to if we add up our Perth scorelines. I don't think we have ever won a series 1-0 down having to travel and travel either," Slater said.
"What an opportunity it is for this team to have to go to Sydney to wrap up the series.
"It's not easy. This game is hard. It's a hard game. They get that opportunity and I'm sure New South Wales will be ready to go in Game 3. It's going to be a heck of a game and I'm looking forward to getting in to preparation for it."
Origin 3 will be played on Wednesday, July 9.
