Game 2 in the State of Origin series is arguably the most important match of the series for the NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons.
It's the game where everything is on the line equally for both states: seal the series, or hit back and force everything into a sudden-death Game 3 decider.
Momentum shifts, pressure peaks, and the biggest moments arrive.
Over the years, Game 2 has delivered chaos, comebacks and dynasty-breaking performances.
These are the five that stand above the rest.
5. Game 2, 2005 – The greatest Plan B in history
Few Origin stories are defined by one single man, and that man was not even supposed to be there.
After missing large parts of the previous season with an ACL injury, then returning only to suffer a fractured jaw, Andrew Johns had barely played football in 18 months. He was originally left out of the series opener while still rebuilding fitness and timing with Newcastle.
But Origin has a way of rewriting plans at the last minute.
Less than 72 hours before kick-off, NSW were forced into a reshuffle when Trent Barrett was ruled out through injury in camp. Suddenly, Johns was parachuted straight into the halfback role after just one game back.
What followed became Origin history.
From the opening moments, Johns controlled the match. Every decision felt calmer when he had the ball. Every NSW set had a purpose. He shifted defensive lines with footwork, manipulated space with timing, and constantly forced Queensland to retreat.
He produced two try assists, multiple line breaks, a flawless goal-kicking display and a crucial 40/20 that flipped momentum at the exact moment NSW needed it.
It was not just a performance. It was control of the entire game. NSW were not carried to victory; they were directed there by one player operating on a different level. That win forced a decider and cemented one of the greatest individual Origin performances ever seen.
