The opening game of the 2026 State of Origin series is in the books, with one of the wildest encounters in recent years seeing a send-off and dramatic comeback for the NSW Blues, who toppled the Queensland Maroons.
It was all Queensland early, but after being unable to add to their lead following an opening 20-minute rout, they struggled to hold on once Kalyn Ponga was sent off, and the Blues scored the winner with just 90 seconds on the clock.
Here are all the big talking points from a dramatic night at Homebush.
Was it a send-off?
The moment the game changed was undoubtedly the big call from Ashley Klein, after appearing to overrule bunker official Chris Butler, to send off Kalyn Ponga.
The star fullback, who had plenty of good moments through the first hour, was pinged for hitting Tolutau Koula with a shoulder charge and given his marching orders with more than a quarter of the game left.
There was certainly the argument that it was actually a head clash rather than a shoulder charge, and many suggested a sin bin would have been sufficient.
That said, there are certainly camera angles that show the shoulder of Ponga, which went in with plenty of intent and no wrapping motion, making contact with Koula's head, even if not on initial contact.
Koula wound up with a cut on his face from the impact, while Ponga had the same on the side of his head.
In the end, Ashley Klein made a bold, brave decision, and one that, at least in my personal opinion, had to be made.
It was dangerous, had intent, and showed no duty of care for Koula.
That the MRC only dished out a Grade 2 charge, though, suggests I might be a little lonelier on that island than I would have assumed.
Cameron Murray must start in Game 2, and Patrick Carrigan must follow him
The score before Cameron Murray got onto the field? 18-0 in 18 minutes.
The score after Cameron Murray got onto the field? NSW 22, Queensland 2.
There is no real surprise either. Cameron Murray put together an exceptional performance during the series opener.
Although by this point in his career, it's not as if that comes across as a surprise to, well, anyone.
The Rabbitohs' star was phenomenal at both ends of the park, but particularly in defence. It won't show on the stats sheet, but there was, frankly, no getting around him.
Queensland certainly had things go wrong, but in footy, certain players make their opposition attack worse, and there are few players who did it better than Murray.
What is clear is that Patrick Carrigan was the best of Queensland's forwards, and wherever Murray goes, he must join him, as much as the Maroons would probably like Carrigan's impact to remain on the bench.
There is no doubt, though, that south of the Tweed, Murray must start, and if Yeo is in the run-on side, he moves to prop.
Exactly what happens with Payne Haas returning remains to be seen.
Sam Walker and Ethan Strange are made for Origin
On a night where the game was well below what you might expect as usual State of Origin quality, it was clear Sam Walker and Ethan Strange are made for this level.
Walker orchestrated Queensland's attack beautifully during the opening exchanges, laying on a couple of tries and proving an absolute headache for the Blues' defence.
With Thomas Dearden out for at least Game 2, and maybe Game 3, Walker has booked his spot for the rest of the series unless he royally stuffs up in Melbourne.
Ethan Strange, too, shouldn't be going anywhere.
A late inclusion in the starting side after the injury to Mitchell Moses, he was probably the best Blue on the ground in his debut.
The five-eighth never stopped trying at both ends of the park, and it should now be impossible for Laurie Daley to replace him with a returning Moses for Game 2.
Blues must make changes - Kalyn Ponga's madness doesn't mean they deserved to win
The positional change of Cameron Murray starting has already been mentioned, but it's certainly not the only change the Blues need to consider for Game 2.
The biggest and most immediate one is Stephen Crichton.
His form at club level has been a horror show for the Bulldogs, and that carried across straight onto the biggest stage on Wednesday evening.
Casey McLean, who came off the bench with 20 to go, showed within minutes that he belongs at this level. He should very quickly take Crichton's spot.
There is also an argument that you shouldn't pick undercooked players for Origin. Mitch Barnett has played 5 games in 12 months, and played like it on Wednesday. With Payne Haas returning, it's a straight and very easy swap.
As for the bench, the Blues aren't going to get away with what they did in Game 1 again. Jacob Saifiti not being used means they didn't run a specialist prop off the pine.
While that means you can't critique Saifiti's performance, there is still a feeling that other props would be better suited to his bench impact role.
Victor Radley probably did enough to keep his spot, while exactly what happens with a likely return of Mitchell Moses remains to be seen - maybe he comes onto the six-man bench for Matt Burton.
Queensland need a backup for Harry Grant and other changes
Harry Grant got through all 80 minutes in Game 1, but it was a relatively slow-paced contest by the standards of the modern game, with few six-agains and lots of dropped balls marring the contest.
That's not to say Grant played poorly, but there was a very noticeable difference in the speed out of the ruck once a fresh Blayke Brailey came into the game during the final half an hour.
Whether Queensland hold Max Plath back on the bench, or finds a way to bring Reed Mahoney into the side, they surely must look at having fresh legs ready to go at hooker at some point.
There are other changes, as well, for the Maroons.
Kalyn Ponga's send-off will leave question marks, while the performances of Trent Loiero and Briton Nikora on the bench should see changes.
There is no doubt Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, who was the 20th man for the opener, should be in the side, while Queensland could well get away with playing Mahoney for Loiero.
Did Queensland get it right after the send-off?
The Maroons had a 14-point lead at the time of the send-off, and while everything went wrong for them afterwards as they dished up their worst quarter of the game, there was a feeling they probably still should have held on.
What became clear almost immediately was that there was a major mismatch on the Blues' right attacking side, where Kurt Capewell - fatigued from an hour in the second row - had been moved to defend.
By the time it was all said and done, the Warriors' veteran had missed ten tackles, with most of those coming in the closing stages of the game out in the centres.
The Blues attacked from range, and when they did, they attacked him frequently.
The fact that a certified outside back in Gehamat Shibasaki was on the bench and not put in the game, with Slater instead prioritising 15 wasted minutes for Trent Loiero, is another black mark against the Queensland coach.
Questions have been raised during his tenure coaching Queensland, surrounding his ability to manage the bench and tactics when things don't go right, and the fact of the matter is, he probably got it wrong on Wednesday night.
