Jennings’ try came after Cronk stopped James Tedesco from scoring the play before after a long break.
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Fifita put the Blues further ahead in the 41st minute with a controversial try after Jennings was not ruled to have interfered with the play despite being offside.
Queensland captain, and Man of the Series, Cameron Smith they had the opportunity to win the game.
The Blues had looked the stronger side but the momentum shifted when a Gavin Cooper touchdown was followed by a yellow card for Andrew Fifita – the New South Wales replacement sin-binned for a freaky attack on the try scorer.
Gallen, who ended his Origin career on a memorable note kicking the final conversion, praised the character of his players. “I’ve only experienced it a couple of times now, but you feel it straight away and it’s something I am grateful to be part of and will never forget”.
“But I didn’t know we relaxed rules in our game”.
“I don’t want to get into a slinging match here, but it was pretty disrespectful I thought”, he said. In that year, Queensland’s champions will grow yet another year older and slower.
However NSW had so much more to play for, fighting to avoid a series clean sweep and to send off their captain Gallen a victor in his 24th and final Origin game.
It was a close game, with QLD getting a lead in the first 5 minutes with a try from Greg Inglis (Thurston off his game though, missing the kick), leaving the Maroons with a 0-4 lead until Tyson Frizell nabbed a cheeky try at the 20 minute mark, converted by James Maloney.
As expected, the niggle began to creep into the clash following some verbal sniping in the build-up and Queensland forward Sam Thaiday was in the middle of most of the pushing and shoving.
NSW enjoyed a 9-1 penalty count in the first half.
For the last six years as Captain he’s lead from the front, taking the battle to the Maroons with many inspirational performances to help bridge the gap to this great Queensland team.
Andrew Fifita’s ridiculous attack on Queensland tryscorer Gavin Cooper was one of those needlessly dumb moments which have characterised this Blues campaign.
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Fifita retaliated by grabbing Cooper around the neck and then he was marched for 10 minutes in the sin bin.
