The New South Wales Blues were out on their feet on Wednesday night.
That statement alone won't come as a surprise when you consider Queensland strung together one of the most complete games in Origin history.
The fact the Maroons didn't drop the ball until the closing stages of the game only goes to show how switched on the Maroons were as they won the shield back from the Blues that they had lost on home soil in an embarrassing loss 12 months ago.
It's just a shame the Blues coaching box weren't quite as switched on as the Maroons were.
That's not to say it would have changed the game, but the decisions around interchanges from coach Laurie Daley and his staff throughout the decider were absolutely, utterly, bewildering.
Before you go deep diving into the interchange policy employed by Daley on Wednesday evening, the top line stat is another to raise eyebrows.
Six interchanges.
That is all the Blues used.
Each team receives eight. Using six might be a realistic option if you're on top and dominating like the men from the north of the Tweed were.
You keep the players on the field who are getting the job done, particularly if they don't look like they need to come off.
But the Blues looked the opposite of that.
Even Queenaland used their eight interchanges.
Despite winning a lot of the key statistical metrics, fatigue had set in for the Blues and, in a rare moment of agreeance with the coach of the Blues, they lost all the key moments.
Some of that was down to the game plan, but a lot of that was down to dreadful decision making under pressure and fatigue.
The attack was one-dimensional, the defence not much better, and they simply failed to understand, realise, or adapt to the masterclass in coaching on display from their opposition, with rushing, jamming defence that left the Blues no time to do anything.
Adapting a game plan is on the coaching staff, but even at halftime, it appeared as if Daley and his troops hadn't worked out what Queensland were doing.
Captain Isaah Yeo labelled his side as one lacking patience during the post-match press conference, but it was so much more than a simple lack of it.
The game plan had its issues, but back to the bigger issue at hand which played a leading role in all of it - the use of the bench.
Instead of getting creative and trying to shake things up, Laurie Daley waited until midway through the second half to introduce either Connor Watson or Hudson Young.
Then he brought them both on at the same time.
In the opening games of the series, Watson had played a reduced role, but it always felt like Reece Robson was relatively in control of the hooking role.
That wasn't the case in Game 3.
He was outplayed by a faster, more ferocious Queensland team, although that was't aided by the fact he tackled himself to a standstill, making 46 in just 53 minutes of action.
That's the fastest way to fatigue a player, and it was clear the Maroons had an idea of winning the ruck by tiring Robson among others.
Harry Grant had his best performance of the series by a long way, and it's no surprise given the way the game played out.
Young, on the other hand, had been used in various roles across Game 1 and 2, but brought speed and energy on both sides of the ball when he came off the bench.
It was if he was left too late on Wednesday. By the time he came on, the energy had been sapped from the Blues, and so too the scoreboard had run away.
It meant Young had to play catch up footy with a team who simply weren't up to the challenge on the energy front.
Add to that though that Spencer Leniu played 35 minutes, and Stefano Utoikamanu, who was one of the better forwards for the Blues, only played 26, and thins simply don't add up.
Max King again only had a single stint with 22 minutes - after such a quality performance in Game 1 off the bench, his promotion to the starting side made no sense, and nor did the way he has been used since.
Payne Haas played 63 minutes, Liam Martin 67, Angus Crichton 80 and Isaah Yeo 80. Yeo in particular had a middle of the road game with barely a memorable moment.
Could all of those players benefited by playing slightly less minutes? You'd have to assume the answer is yes, and with the Blues holding two interchanges up their sleeve at fulltime, it makes absolutely no sense that they didn't.
If last year's series under Michael Maguire proved anything it's that Origin needs a coach. Not an-player who claims to understand Origin.
But a coach who knows how to use the bench.
Maguire made Billy Slater look like cannon fodder last year.
This time around, Billy Slater, now with four Origin campaigns under his belt, made Daley look like an amateur.
The horrid mismanagement from the Blues, the lack of desire to shake things up and stay ahead of the curve, and the performance in Game 3 should be the end of Daley as an Origin coach.
It didn't work the first time. It hasn't worked this time.
