Queensland win Origin I by a single point

A Cooper Cronk drop goal has seen Queensland home to victory over New South Wales in the first State of Origin game of the 2015 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

New South Wales had taken a four-point lead into half-time, but were ground down by Queensland’s veterans in the second half.

Queensland’s backs played particularly well, and NSW were forced to defend their own line for long periods of the second half.

Cronk was relieved that his deciding kick was good, as he felt that maybe the Maroons had blown a chance when Johnathan Thurston attempted a penalty goal from 45 metres out a few minutes earlier.

“We probably should have gone for the field goal earlier when Johno went for the two,” Cronk said.

“We thought, well it’s 10-10, and the boys are going to be going for a field goal. He didn’t make it but we backed ourselves and defended the error and got out of it with that field goal.”

STATE OF ORIGIN GAME I

Queensland 11 (Cronk, Chambers tries; Thurston goal; Cronk field goal)

New South Wales 10 (Morris, Scott tries; Hodkinson goal).

(Half-time: New South Wales 10-6.)

Crowd: 80,122.