The Blues appeared to be coasting to victory when Cook's try sent them 12 points ahead and it was still the case with less than 12 minutes left before Josh McGuire and Josh Papalii helped Queensland level the game inside the last three minutes.

NSW's late heroics matched their late arrival.

They preferred to warm up on their state-of-the-art training field at the neighbouring Centre of Excellence. They walked an adjoining tunnel last graced by Cathy Freeman et al during the Sydney Olympic Games back in 2000,the year of the hand grenade and the Blues running riot.

It was also the scene of Jane Saville being red-carded when she could smell gold - and this overwhelming favourite did its best to trip at the final hurdle.

If a punter only cares about his last bet,Pearce has rolled the dice one final time and hit the jackpot. He’ll forever be known as an Origin winner,a man who finally got his hands on a shield he was told by Queensland’s dynasty makers he would only ever touch on the Wally Lewis statue outside Suncorp Stadium.

The Blues started the hottest favourites in an Origin game in almost two decades,money raining so heavily on Fittler’s men it was like they had never left the big wet at Perth’s Optus Stadium.

But Origin is never played on paper,or according to where the folding stuff is being invested. That’s why it has been so good for so long.

Still,there would have been few who would have predicted the 12 penalties blown in a static opening 40 minutes,almost as many blown in an entire Origin series of yesteryear.

Somehow without Kalyn Ponga,Queensland seemed a more dangerous team with Munster at No.1. One of the game’s greatest ever coaches Warren Ryan told James Tedesco his feet were so good he could be a star inRiverdance,then what would he say of Munster’s first-half display?

In their hour of need approaching the hour mark,Tedesco delivered. NSW’s most potent attacking weapon and unlikely vice-captain spied space and then surged into it to send the Blues back to the lead.

On the Wide World of Sports website,a catalogue of Nine experts gave their game three predictions and most likely man of the match. Fittler even had a go. He predicted Damien Cook would be NSW’s best. He knew something.

The little No.9 sped and swerved from all of 40 metres to push the NSW buffer to 12,one they gave up and then got back. At the last possible moment. And with Pearce's fingerprints all over it.

NSW 26 (James Tedesco 2,Paul Vaughan,Damien Cook tries;James Maloney 5 goals)defeatedQUEENSLAND 20 (Felise Kaufusi,Josh McGuire,Josh Papalii tries;Ethan Lowe 3 goals) at ANZ Stadium. Referees:Gerard Sutton,Ashley Klein. Crowd:82,565.