By James Bennett
Here it is – do or die. Mate V Mate. State V State. Blues V Maroons… however you term there will be a battle at Suncorp Stadium tonight as the New South Wales Blues enter enemy territory to try and pinch the series off the Queensland Maroons.
It’s 1-each and the glory will belong to just one team at the end of 80 minutes.
We bring you LIVE UPDATES of the match and VIDEO OF THE ACTION as it occurs. Refresh your browser occasionally as not to miss any of the action.
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LIVE COMMENTARY… Queensland 21 – 20 New South Wales
QUEENSLAND MAKE IT SEVEN IN A ROW, CHECK OUT ALL THE VIDEO
79 mins: One last desperate attempt from NSW but it's not on target. QLD have won! Origin number seven! That was an absolute thriller. Stay tuned for highlights and a match review.
77 mins: Blues get a penalty and work downfield. Farrah losses the ball, Suncorp celebrate, was that their last chance?
76 mins: Not long now Maroons up by one...They go to the skies and Jarryd Hayne just manages to defuse things. Blues working from their own line...
73 mins: Some big Origin moments coming right up. It's 20-20 and you couldn't picka winner. Who is coming home stronger. QLD in possession about 40 metres out. Field goal time for sure...COOPER CRONK NAILS IT FROM 40M out! What a goal! Massive play.
71 mins: CARNEY NAILS THE GOAL FROM THE SIDELINE! WHAT A KICK. We are all locked up at 20-20. VIDEO updated of try and kick.
69 mins: GREAT BREAK NSW HAYNE, PEARCE INVOLVED. Second phase, Farrah kick and BRETT MORRIS MAY HAVE PULLED OFF A STUNNER! He's reached over the top of Boyd and pinched the ball, has he grounded it? Yes no doubt! Great Origin try for mine...What's the video ref say? Decision coming....TRY kick to come.
67 mins: Blues in great field position - they have a scrum with a full set...Ohh no, sloppy pass and have they blown it? Yes. Forward pass and a major let off for the home side.
64 mins: Thurston lines up a penalty kick from the Williams penalty and nails it down the middle. Are we in field goal territory? I think we may be.
63 mins: Ohhh! Cronk cops a loose arm from Tony Williams, accidental for sure but still a penalty. A bit of push and shove after - VIDEO of all that now up.
61 mins: NSW return the favour with a knock on themselves. Not much attack from the Blues in recent times. Defence tiring also as they give away a penalty, cheers Luke Lewis. More field position for the Maroons.
60 mins: Queensland looked to be lifting a gear...Starting to rumble it up. Momentum halted momentarily - knock on and Blues ball. They haven't had any field position for what seems ages.
56 mins: Drama, QLD break up the middle, Smith and Inglis involved...Big GI went o so close but could force it. From the resulting play the ball the Blues spoiled well and ended up with the pill. Great scramble.
55 mins: Not a sight you see everyday, Matt Gillett puts the kick in, effective enough. Blues find their kick also but straight to Boyd.
53 mins: NSW showing plenty of fight, they grubber but Tate is there to clean up the scraps... Who has the good stuff in the back end of this half. Can NSW break their drought?
49 mins: Stupid stuff from the Blues, straight after points and they cough it up on the first tackle. Blowout. Queensland get a penalty a few tackles later...Major let off. The Maroons will take the two points.
47 mins: YES THEY CAN! A lovely try to Brett Stewart from a little Farrah grubber. Stewart came steaming through and dotted down just before the dead ball line. They went upstairs but no real doubt. Carney converts and it's 16-14. GAME ON!
46 mins: First penalty of the second half goes to the visitors for a strip. Good field position for the Blues can they make it count?
44 mins: A couple of settling sets from both sides. Queensland just need to go back to what they know, NSW need something special.
41 mins: Here we go second forty, NSW get us underway and straight from the get go, QLD go wide. Decent set, poor kick, Hayne runs it back.
40 mins: Last chance for both sides. NSW blow there's fumbling the pill on the second tackle. QLD have one last crack with time nearly up, what have they got? Smith has a go at a field goal from dummy half but it's well short. That's halftime. QLD lead but this is far from over! Check out the VIDEO of the first half and join us soon for the second spell.
38 mins: Just like that QLD do what they've done in many Origins before, a double blow, bang, bang just before the break. Crucial points when NSW have looked so good for large parts of the half.
35 mins: And they make them pay! TRY HODGES! Solo effort there, just ran around his man, a suggestion of obstruction but the video ref say T.R.Y. Thurston kicks the goal and QLD hit the lead. NSW only with themselves to blame there.
34 mins: Thurston nails the conversion, QLD lead. Blowout! NSW kick out on the full and hand the Maroons another chance before the break.
31 mins: Kick pressure from the Blues, QLD in trouble on their own line. Gunna be hard yakka getting out of here...BUT THEY DO MASSIVE BREAK THURSTON DOWN THE RIGHT SIDE! He links up with Tate but play just breaks down. They go again and second phase ball, they run it on the last and that man JT, the man who started it finishes it with a TRY next to the posts. Great Origin try. Video up.
29 mins: Another strong defensive set from the QLD side, Blues struggling to make headway. Inglis fields the kick and back they come. DROPPED BALL. Here's a chance for NSW, scrum down just their side of halfway, a try now would really give them the edge.
27 mins: Ouch! Ben Creagh has knocked himself out running straight into the knee of Shillington, off for blood. Last tackle and the Blues are around the halfway mark. Poor kick Boyd there and runs it back. tight contest so far, Blues deserve their lead but can the Maroons crowd ride their team home?
25 mins: Bang! Massive shoulder from Smith. That hurt. Inglis fields the raking punt and the Maroons work it back though their forwards...Bench players starting to make an impact.
24 mins: Ohhh! BIG GI WITH A BARNSTORMING RUN! Puts QLD in good position...Hodges makes the secondary break but then throws it away...PENALTY NSW get a chance to escape the shadow of the posts with a 10m penalty, Shillington and Hannet the guilty parties.
20 mins: Thurston with the usual bending kick from the touchline but he's bent it too much - miss. 8-4 NSW still lead.
19 mins: TRY TIME! QLD hit back. They get a repaet thanks to a penalty and make no mistake. A bit of second phase thanks to Parker, they go wide and Darius Boyd dots it down in the corner. Tough kick coming.
17 mins: VIDEO updated of all the action to date, check it out. Tate fields a kick and now it's the Maroons turn to run it out from their own half.
16 mins: Ohh QLD hot on attack but comes to nothing, they run it on the last but Neilsen gets caught up in traffic and dies with the footy. Great D NSW - they are here to play!
14 mins: Carney nails the conversion and the Blues have a healthy lead. Ohh Farrah is wobbly, this could be concussion.
12 mins: Morris goes himself for a little dart AND LOOKS TO HAVE SCORED! We are heading upstairs but it looks good for mine... Player shave a little push and shove after but nothing to write home about. Decision coming...TRY it is! Wow, good way to silence the crowd. Kick to come. VIDEO coming.
10 mins: VIDEO updated of the Morris run, check it out. Meanwhile Cronk tries a chip and chase but Hayne is there to field it and take NSW downfield. They earn 'six again' in good territory, their first real chance to attack.
8 mins: Typically tough Origin play from both sides, sizing each other up, Blues making metres up the centre...Opting to kick away from Inglis. Here comes the big man now, QLD now in possession.
4 mins: Queensland can't make anything of their possession but when the Blues restart from the 20m Morris goes for a scamper and nearly goes the whole way. He is brought down by Thurston...Just. From the resulting play NSW get a penalty and opt for 2 points which Carney kicks.
2 mins: We've had our first dust up! Tate v Bird, Gallen involved also...Net result QLD penalty and now a repeat set, early attack to the home side. VIDEO of the fighting up now.
1 mins: Kickoff from Queensland and the Blues take a settling set, kick down to GI and now it's the Maroons turn.
Here we go, it's Origin time!
Not far away now guys! This is State of Origin 3, buckle up. Can't be far away from the anthem and then it's go time! Stay tuned for all the action.
Kick off is not far away so in the meantime watch our State of Origin decider video blog.
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Tip
Our resident 3 News rugby league reporter and host of The League Fix picks… with his head, not his heart…New South Wales by two points, 14-12 because for the first time in years the pressure is genuinely on Queensland and that will tell.
Possible teams
Queensland
1 Greg Inglis 2 Darius Boyd 3 Dane Nielsen 4 Justin Hodges 5 Brent Tate 6 Johnathan Thurston 7 Cooper Cronk 8 Matthew Scott 9 Cameron Smith 10 Petero Civoniceva 11 Nate Myles 12 Sam Thaiday 13 Corey Parker 14 Matt Gillett 15 Ben Te'o 16 Ben Hannant 17 David Shillington.
New South Wales
1 Brett Stewart 2 Jarryd Hayne 3 Michael Jennings 4 Josh Morris 5 Brett Morris 6 Todd Carney 7 Mitchell Pearce 8 Tim Grant 9 Robbie Farah 10 James Tamou 11 Beau Scott 12 Greg Bird 13 Paul Gallen 14 Luke Lewis 15 Ben Creagh 16 Anthony Watmough 17 Tony Williams
Pregame banter
The talking is over. The gloves are finally off. The destination of the 2012 State of Origin shield will be decided tonight in Brisbane.
After a campaign of one-upmanship and off-field tit-for-tat from coaches Mal Meninga and Ricky Stuart, the two old rivals and close friends outside of the Origin bearpit, will sit back in what is sure to be an emotional occasion at Suncorp Stadium.
The game will see Queensland warhorse Petero Civoniceva bow out for the Maroons, following a brilliant 14-year career and to see him in action tonight live, streaming forward and in full flight in front of fans followed up with big hits – legend.
It will also be the first time Queensland prop Matt Scott has played since his mother passed away from throat cancer last week.
Scott will pack down against his Kangaroos teammate Robbie Farah, who also lost his mother just four days after his brilliant display in game two for the Blues last month.
Meninga said he felt for both players, but said the pair would know they have to put their grief to the backs of their minds.
"Origin's an emotional arena. And it's sad obviously what happened to both families," Meninga said.
"Those sorts of things you've got to try and put them to the back of your mind.
"Tomorrow night is all about getting involved in the game itself and thinking about your own performance and making sure you don't let your teammates down.
"That will be the major focus of Matty of Robbie."
Stuart has warned his players not to let the emotion of the occasion get to them as they look to end a run of six successive series defeats against one of the greatest sides ever to play the game.
"The only way you can take the crowd out of it is by playing well," Stuart said.
"It will be an emotional evening when we get there tomorrow but we can't let that affect us."
3 News