Live updates: State of Origin II
Welcome to our live coverage of the second State of Origin match from the MCG.
After finally breaking Queensland's eight-year stranglehold on the Origin Shield last year, a new look NSW side face a make-or-break game to keep alive their hopes of back-to-back titles.
Can the Blues kick-start their defence with a victory at the MCG or will the Maroons come out firing and enact revenge?
For all the statistics click here. Also, be sure to check out 9Jumpin for multi-camera replays of tonight's clash.
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10:27pm: So in wrapping up, NSW has forced a State of Origin decider on July 8 at Suncorp Stadium after beating Queensland 26-18 in front of a record crowd of 91,513 at the MCG.
10:25pm: Thurston has confirmed his shoulder injury isn't serious while Gallen says he'll wait and see on his rib injury.
10:20pm: Regardless, the Blues proved too strong and Queensland will be hoping Cooper Cronk is fit for the decider. He is crucial to the way the team performs with DCE pretty poor, it must be said.
10:18pm: The disallowed tries to Inglis and Pearce will be a talking point but for the record, I think both rulings were correct, provided that Inglis' try was disallowed for offside and knock on. A correct decision either way I suppose.
10:16pm: That's it. All over and it will be down to a decider. A much sharper, hungrier and youngier Blues outfit proved too good for the Maroons.
80th minute: The result is decided and we're off to Suncorp for a decider. A very accomplished performance from the Blues.
79th minute: Bit more biff with 90 seconds to go. Penalty to the Maroons. Klemmer in the middle of it, predictably. The big NSW bull has been in everything tonight.
75th minute: Another melee! This time sparked by a piece of niggle from Farah on Thurston after he kicked out on the full.
73rd minute: Thurston is down after being flattened by Cordner as he kicked the ball. No penalty.
71st minute: Hodkinson knocks over the extras. Handy lead for the Blues.
70th minute: Dugan is over! He cruised through a huge hole in the Queensland's right edge defence. Something broke down there.
68th minute: Inglis has gone 90m to score! We're going back to look at the strip way down field on Pearce. No try. Inglis was offside. I think that is the ruling. It's a correct one if so. We go back 80m for a NSW scrum. Wow!
66th minute: Morris does brilliantly to stop a rampaging Inglis down the left edge. Inglis' offload is dived on by a Blue. NSW now with another chance after a penalty.
64th minute: Wow! A brilliant Blues try is disallowed because of a forward pass. The ruling looked correct.
63rd minute: Hodkinson converts and the Blues in front with just over 15 to go.
62nd minute: Woods has powered over for NSW! A great Origin try from the Blues bookend, who shrugged off opposite number Scott and Slater on his way to the line.
60th minute: A penalty to NSW ends a couple of minutes of grinding predominately one-out play.
57th minute: Woods has knocked on, though there was a suspicious hand from Scott in there. The Blues give the Maroons another invitation. Morgan is on for Parker. Maroons penalty now and they're going for the two. JT knocks it over.
50th minute: Chambers has fluffed his lines on a kick return, only managing to fumble the ball into touch as Morris loomed down on him. Big chance for the Blues. Also, this is officially the biggest crowd in Origin history.
Official MCG state of origin crowd; 91,513. Fair effort. #9News
— Joel Dry (@JoelDry9) June 17, 2015
47th minute: The Maroons have scored! Just checking a possible obstruction from McGuire. No problem, Gillett will be awarded the try after showing some nice footwork back on the inside.
46th minute: Smith was caught at dummy half but the Blues' markers weren't square. Penalty Maroons.
45th minute: Six again for the Maroons after one of the Blues got a touch on the ball.
43rd minute: Thurston does brilliantly to sprint and hammer Dugan in the in-goal after a Smith kick. An Origin effort if ever there was one.
41st minute: Both teams are back out on the field with Hodkinson restarting the match. Hoffman is back on the field after being cleared of concussion.
40th minute: That's halftime. A very good spectacle for the MCG crowd and once again a very promising start from the Blues. Though, there are sure to be some nerves in that dressing room after their second half performance in the opener.
39th minute: Hodkinson has kicked a penalty from virtually right in front to give the Blues a four point lead a minute out from the break.
35th minute: Thurston fails to convert as Hoffman is taken from the field with concussion following a swinging arm from Hodges in the previous set. Tough break for the Blues.
33rd minute: Inglis scores! An amazing pass from Slater put Inglis in the clear who followed up and took the ball from Boyd to score. He's now the sole holder of the Origin try scoring record.
32nd minute: A brilliant burst from Inglis down the left edge but he is held up just short of the line. Some good NSW defence holds the Maroons at bay following the Inglis run.
30th minute: An elaborate move down a very short side comes unstuck for the Blues with Farah being dragged into touch. There was always going to be a dead end for that one.
29th minute: Hodkinson adds the extras. A very attacking opening 30 minutes with plenty of offloads from both teams.
26th minute: Referee Sutton has awarded a try for the Blues! We're just checking the grounding. Josh Morris flew about the Maroons to field an inch perfect kick from the much-maligned Pearce. It's been given. His wrist looked to have some control on the ball.
23rd minute: A half break from the Blues down the left edge after a brilliant offload from Merrin. Poor choice to kick on the end of it but promising signs for NSW.
22nd minute: A bit of biff! Well, the modern day version at least. It started with Tamou putting a big hand in Slater's face. Appropriately, an AFL-style melee.
20th minute: A rib cartilage injury for Gallen apparently. One that's very painful apparently as the Blues force a repeat set.
18th minute: Inglis shrugs off a few would-be tacklers, easily before Dugan does well to catch a kick in the in-goal. The Maroons are penalised as Gallen comes from the field with some sort of injury. Get Bill back, it's all happening!
14th minute: A strange set from Maroons. Thurston pulling off a spectacular catch of a grubber kick as he slipped. A relieving penalty for them now as they come off their own line.
11th minute: Scott crashes over for the Maroons! The Queensland bookend stormed onto a Parker short ball and dotted down under the posts. Lovely play from the Broncos star. Thurston adds the extras.
10th minute: A penalty for offside gives the Maroons a helping hand coming of their own line.
8th minute: A Gallen penalty had the Maroons hot on attack but Hdges slipped as he DCE tried to find him with a ball on the inside.
7th minute: NSW have not completed the first set post try with Hodkinson knocking on.
6th minute: Hodkinson adds the extras for a 6-0 lead. An offload from Tamou that hit the deck put the Maroons on their heels.
4th minute: A perfect start for the Blues! Jennings has crossed on the left edge after some soft defence from both Chambers and DCE.
3rd minute: The referee that Smith has knocked on with NSW to get an entire set inside the Maroons' 20.
1st minute: An early penalty for a strip on Woods to end the first set. Blues with an early shot.
8:20pm: After a minute's silence for Ron Clarke, we're now moments away from kick off. Smith gets us underway wth Woods taking the first carry.
8:19pm:
8:19pm: It certainly looks as if the Origin crowd record will be broken with barely a spare seat in the house as the national anthem begins.
The roar of the crowd as you run out of the sheds !!!!!! Nothing like it ���� NEW-SOUTH-WALES
— jarryd hayne (@jarrydhayne_1) June 17, 2015
8:15pm: Gallen is addressing his men and leavin Queensland out on the ground, obviously.
8:14pm: Cameron Smith is now leading the Maroons out onto the MCG to a predictably loud roar.
8:03pm: Some high praise from an Immortal, with Andrew Johns calling Johnathan Thurston one of the greatest players he's ever seen. Some food for thought on the debate of who's the greatest halfback of the modern era.
7:56pm: ICYMI, check out the Origin opener voiced by Ray ‘Rabbits’ Warren here.
7:53pm:
The MCG looked a picture as a potentially record Origin crowd made its way to the great ground.
7:52pm: We're now into an opener where NSW captain Pul Gallen admits to fear in the Origin arena. Not that you'd ever know from watching, the man never takes a backward step.
7:50pm: The unique opener finishes off with a spectacular fireworks and light show.
7:46pm: The 'G is looking an absolute picture with a brief history of the famous ground being voiced by none other than cricket's Bill Lawry.
7:40pm: A decision NSW coach Laurie Daley has no issue with, saying he wants the Blues to start strongly with the ball.
7:38pm: You'll see better coin tosses after a nervous moment from a young South Australian rugby league player but despite that, Cam Smith has won the toss and elected to kick off.
7:37pm: Ever the statesman, Meninga brushes off questions about Paul Gallen and his 'grubby' talk.
7:35pm: It focused on two very different rugby league craftsmen Josh Dugan and Cameron Smith and particularly the role the late uncle of the Dragons fullback plays for the Blues custodian.
7:32pm: A much more comfortable fit in the opener voiced by the one and only Ray 'Rabs' Warren after the Rock's Hollywood version in game one.
7:30pm: Just to show that Daley and the Blues don't need to go into full seige mode south of the border, one of Victoria's finest is getting in behind NSW.
7:22pm: And just in, Queensland under 18s have prevailed over their NSW counterparts in the curtain raiser, 22-18.
A photo posted by Shane Warne (@shanewarne23) on
How about that Queensland? Congrats U/18 QLD men. #QLDER #Origin pic.twitter.com/pQEOjnnECd
— Queensland Maroons (@QLDmaroons) June 17, 2015
Blues team took over an hour to get to MCG through Melbourne traffic #punish
— Danny Weidler (@Danny_Weidler) June 17, 2015
Bluesss Feverrr @NSWRL So psyched for #StateOfOrigin Game 2 tonight...C'mon mighty Bluesss !! #UpTheBlues pic.twitter.com/CTvXGxcPak
— Sally Fitzgibbons (@Sally_Fitz) June 17, 2015
6:50pm: Need a late tip? Why not take some (un)helpful advice from a couple of AFL stars. "It's not something I'm overly well versed in" - Dale Thomas.
VIDEO: @DThomas_39 & @marcmurphy3 give their tips for tonight's #Origin II at the @MCG - http://t.co/oQAi632BXJ pic.twitter.com/eY25BmlTmY
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) June 17, 2015
6:47pm: Former Test cricketer Brett Lee leaves no doubt as to which team he will be supporting.
Thanks for the support @BrettLee_58!
#UpTheBlues #Origin pic.twitter.com/BV5sGJ9XyQ
— NSWRL (@NSWRL) June 17, 2015
6:09pm: NRL clubs are backing their players to make a big statement into tonight's clash.
He's made a flying start to his #Origin career. We're backing @WJChambers4 to step it up again tonight! #purplepride pic.twitter.com/1awH6vgMU3
— Melbourne Storm (@storm) June 17, 2015
WATCH THIS SPACE: Follow the progress of the @nqcowboys quartet playing in State of Origin tonight. #ORIGIN #ridemcowboys
— NQ Cowboys (@nthqldcowboys) June 17, 2015
6:06pm: Who are you supporting? The MCG is prepared for Origin II.
Welcome back to the @MCG #Origin!
@QLDmaroons v @NSWRL
#NRL pic.twitter.com/zvQt1XA0Fq
— NRL (@NRL) June 17, 2015
6:03pm: The Maroons are getting the fans ready for a big night.
Can you feel it? #QLDER #Origin pic.twitter.com/012elobmy4
— Queensland Maroons (@QLDmaroons) June 17, 2015
