Best strikes twice as Blues avoid Origin whitewash

A double courtesy of debutant Bradman Best has lifted NSW to a 24-10 Game III victory in Sydney to avoid a State of Origin clean sweep against Queensland.

Cody Walker was named Player of the Match whilst Reuben Cotter took home the Wally Lewis Medal for Player of the Series.

The Maroons struck first via David Fifita before a trio of Blues tries in the space of just nine minutes saw Brad Fittler’s men leap out to a double digit lead.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow’s try-scoring form continued just shy of the half to cut into the Blues advantage.

Best notched the only try of the second period as NSW held on to avoid a 3-0 series loss in front of 75,342 people at Accor Stadium.

The Blues made a raft of changes in the lead-up to the final clash of the series with Cody Walker, Jake Trbojevic, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Clint Gutherson and Jacob Saifiti all earning recalls whilst Best and Keaon Koloamatangi were handed debuts.

Queensland were without Reece Walsh and Thomas Flegler paving the way for A.J. Brimson and debutant Corey Horsburgh to earn nods.

Best was denied the opening try in a frenzied sequence less than three minutes in with video officials ruling the Woy Woy product was inches offside off a second ricocheting kick.

It was instead Queensland crossing for the opening points of the contest through Fifita who reeled in a Cameron Munster chip after Tabuai-Fidow dislodged the ball out of the arms of Brian To’o midair and laid it on a platter for his back rower.

The hosts answered moments later via To’o after some sharp lead-up work that saw the Blues go from sideline to sideline off a Josh Addo-Carr break with some neat hands courtesy of Koloamatangi and Stephen Crichton thrown in for good measure.

A late tackle on a kicking Mitchell Moses earnt NSW a gift two points through Crichton to tie the game at six just shy of the first quarter mark.

The Blues stripped the Maroons again for numbers down Best and Addo-Carr’s edge the following set with the Bulldogs veteran racing down the touchline from inside his own half, chipping the ball over Brimson at the back, and corralling in a handy bounce for a superb four-pointer to give NSW their first lead of the contest.

NSW crossed again minutes later off a pair of infringements with Best powering his way through a gap off a Walker face ball to crash over and extend the advantage to 10 points.

The video officials denied Jeremiah Nanai a try on the other side of the half-hour mark before a juggling ball found Tabuai-Fidow down the left edge who grubbered for himself and won the race to snag his fifth Origin try in just four appearances.

Crichton piloted through another penalty goal on the stroke of half-time to gives the Blues an 18-10 edge.

Isaah Yeo was denied a maiden Origin try on the hour-mark off a Maroons short dropout after replays showed that the ball brushed Crichton’s finger and travelled forward.

Minutes later, James Tedesco sliced his way into the backfield from his own side of halfway and found a supporting Best on his outside for his second as the Blues lead improved to 24-10.

Tabuai-Fidow was denied a second soon after with replays revealing a knock on in the grounding attempt before Valentine Holmes was unable to reel in a Munster kick and spur on a potential Queensland fightback.

The Blues would hold on to avoid what would have been their first 3-0 series defeat in 13 years.

Walker assisted on a try and a line break and surgically crafted attacking avenues for his outside backs for much of the night whilst Tedesco enjoyed a bounce back outing assisting on a try and running for 247 metres with 11 tackle breaks.

Tabuai-Fidow scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for 114 metres whilst Patrick Carrigan ran for 153 metres from 15 carries and made 31 tackles.

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