The final siren had barely sounded on a famous New South Wales victory before the celebrations were tempered by an uncomfortable admission from the game's governing body that they made an incorrect call.
The NRL confirmed after full-time that its video review system had missed a knock-on in the build-up to Bradman Best's decisive try, an error that has become one of the biggest talking points of the game.
The Blues claimed the series 2-1 with a 30-12 victory at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night, though the moment in question came at a pivotal juncture.
Best's breakaway try in the 57th minute put daylight between the two sides.
The passage of play itself was chaotic as Queensland were on the Blues' end with a kick to the air.
Jojo Fifita challenged Blues winger Jack Bostock to claim the ball, with neither player able to gain possession cleanly.
The ball spilled loose and Best swept it unmarked, setting off a near length-of-the-field dash to the try line, stretching the Blues' advantage.
Ashley Klein whistled for a try, and after a careful review by the bunker without stoppage, it was confirmed to be a try.
The NRL relayed through the Nine Network's sideline commentary by Brad Fittler that a corner-post camera had cleared Bostock of a knock-on.
Scrutiny of the replay suggested otherwise, with footage appearing to show both players touched the ball before it fell forwards away from the NSW line.
By the letter of the law, it should have brought play back for a Queensland scrum feed rather than a Blues try.
Adding to the farce, Wednesday's Telstra network outage disrupted the normal chain of communication between Sydney's bunker headquarters and Suncorp Stadium, forcing officials to rely on a makeshift review setup from Suncorp Stadium.
The NRL owned up to the mistake, releasing a statement addressing the call after full-time.
"After reviewing all available angles, the bunker did not believe there was sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field decision," the league explained.
"Upon detailed review after the match, the NRL believes that while it was an extremely tight decision, the ball appeared to be touched."
Cameron Smith was frustrated with the call, while Andrew Johns, sympathetic to the difficulty of adjusting such contests in real time, conceded the slow-motion footage told a damning story.
The former Maroons dummy-half didn't hold back on Nine's post-match coverage.
"If that's touched his hand and it's proved to have touched it, we need a serious review of the bunker," Smith stated.
"I'm disappointed that Queensland lost. Would that have changed the result? Probably not. But it was at a pretty crucial point in the game."
Despite the controversy, few argued it changed the complexion of the game.
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