EXCLUSIVE: NSW whiz kid Ethan Strange's admission after 'whirlwind' Origin debut

Ethan Strange plays rugby league at a hundred miles an hour and with the type of aggression that made him primed to shine on State of Origin debut.

But off the field, Strange is still quietly spoken and admitted the "whirlwind" way his call-up for NSW came about "hasn't really sunk in" after a dramatic 22-20 win.

If getting called into the starting side for an injured Mitchell Moses the day before the game wasn't enough of a rollercoaster of emotions, what happened across the 80 minutes in wet conditions at Accor Stadium took it to another level.

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After a horror start, the Blues slowly started to wrestle back some momentum before Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga was sent off for a shoulder charge on Tolu Koula.

Almost immediately after Ponga was given his marching orders, Strange raced through a gap to score what he thought was a game-changing try for his state.

It wasn't to be, with the Bunker intervening to overrule the on-field call from referee Ashley Klein, citing an obstruction in the lead-up.

Strange would get his moment in the 61st minute however, backing up in support after a Stephen Crichton linebreak and this time, there was no denying him.

"I was a little bit disappointed after they took that first one away, but you've just got to kick back into gear and keep trying," he told Wide World of Sports post-game.

"I wanted to keep pushing up around Critta, he's a big strong ball runner and luckily he found me for that second try and they couldn't take it off me."

Strange's try kick-started a comeback for the Blues that culminated with fullback James Tedesco scoring in the 78th minute to complete a remarkable game one victory.

Tedesco's match-winner will be replayed for years to come, while Nathan Cleary's series of clutch moments in the final 20 minutes will be talked about at length.

But for a young debutant like Strange, who only has 55 first grade games under his belt and is nowhere near the finished product, to continually attack the contest and threaten to split the Maroons defence wide open shouldn't fly under the radar either.

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Strange finished with 15 runs for 134 metres - more than any NSW forward - laying on two linebreak assists and making three tackle breaks.

Without the ball, Strange didn't look out of place, making 22 tackles with just one miss.

It was the type of debut performance that would suggest that Central Coast product could be donning the sky blue jumper for the next decade.

"It was a whirlwind - I don't even know what to say," he said.

"We didn't start off very well but man, we came home strong thanks to our leaders like [Nathan] Cleary, [Isaah] Yeo and Teddy [James Tedesco] - shout out to them.

"It hasn't really sunk in yet."

Asked if he expected to play Origin so early in his career, Strange had a rapid response.

"No way," he said with a massive smile.

"It's a pretty special moment and for it to come so soon, I couldn't have expected it."

Strange was full of praise for his new halves partner Cleary and told Nine's Allana Ferguson that he was 'pinching himself' running out alongside the Panthers superstar.

Now, there's reason to believe the tandem could be together for years to come.

"We've got two very different games," Strange said.

"He understands everything and he's so good at controlling the middle and steering the ship for us and that just lets me pick my moments.

"It makes things so much easier for me."

Strange was among six debutants for the Blues on Wednesday night as Addin Fonua-Blake, Victor Radley, Tolu Koula, Blayke Brailey and Casey McLean all took the field for the first time.

But make no mistake about it - the Raiders whiz kid outdid them all.