New South Wales claimed the 2025 State of Origin series with a commanding 30-12 victory over Queensland in Wednesday night's decider at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane — but the result has been clouded by an extraordinary post-match admission from the NRL that its bunker missed a critical knock-on that led to one of the game's decisive tries. Here is how every player rated across both sides in a night that will be debated long after the final siren.
Nathan Cleary Leads the Way as NSW Dominate the Decider
If there was any doubt about who controlled the contest, Nathan Cleary put it to rest emphatically. The Blues halfback was the standout player on the field, delivering a masterclass performance that earned him a near-perfect 9 out of 10. Cleary opened the scoring with a clever solo try, stepping past two defenders to cross untouched, then finished off a sweeping team movement for his second. He also produced a one-on-one strip that created Cameron Murray's try, booted five successful conversions and peppered Queensland with dangerous bombs that forced errors deep in their own end.
Alongside Cleary, Payne Haas was a wrecking ball through the middle of the park, earning an 8.5. His powerful carries built the platform ahead of Cleary's opening try and his offloads tore holes in the Maroons' defensive line throughout. Liam Martin (8) produced a welcome return to the Origin arena with a series of damaging charges and a crunching tackle on Robert Toia, while Cameron Murray (8) came off the bench to offload on his first carry before powering over for NSW's third try. The Blues' forward pack was again the engine room of the win.
Hudson Young (8) had a rocky start — conceding the game's first two penalties for a lifting tackle and a high shot — but worked through it to become the first NSW forward to crack 100 run metres and capped his night with a bonus try as the final siren sounded. Isaah Yeo (7) was his reliable self, leading the tackle count and producing the quickest play-the-balls of the starting forwards. Mitchell Barnett (7) took the opening hit-up and was the busiest NSW forward early before returning late to help close out the game.
Mitchell Moses (7) showcased his elite long kicking game with a series of booming clearances, accumulating an enormous 650 kick metres and repeatedly relieving pressure when the Blues were pinned deep in their own half. Reece Robson (7) produced a sharper display at dummy-half than in the first two games, with solid service and four effective darting runs. Bradman Best (7.5) overcame an ordinary start in defence against Robert Toia to produce the night's most spectacular individual moment — a 95-metre solo try in which he outpaced the field before palming off his own teammate Kalyn Ponga on the way to the line.
James Tedesco (7) led New South Wales' go-forward through kick returns and dummy-half scoots until he suffered a head clash with Briton Nikora late in the first half and failed his head injury assessment. Stephen Crichton (6.5) made the line break that created Cleary's second try and forced a dropout with a well-weighted grubber, while Addin Fonua-Blake (6.5) sparked a line break for Best after coming on midway through the first half. Mark Nawaqanitawase (6) produced a lovely pass for Cleary's second try but also spilled a one-handed kick attempt and made a couple of errors under bombs in the second half.
Origin debutant Jack Bostock endured a difficult night — rated 5.5 — dropping an early chance with the tryline open, spilling a bomb late in the first half and then becoming the centre of the evening's biggest controversy before going off with a head knock. Tolutau Koula (5), who replaced Tedesco at fullback in the dying seconds of the first half, made some positive runs but couldn't defuse the kick that led to Selwyn Cobbo's try and let a bomb bounce that nearly gifted Queensland another. Blayke Brailey (5) and Ethan Strange (5) both had limited impact in their bench cameos.
NRL Admits Bunker Blunder Over Crucial Bradman Best Try
The result — and Best's spectacular long-range effort — took on a different complexion after the NRL released a statement confirming that its bunker had missed a knock-on by Jack Bostock in the lead-up to that 57th-minute try.
The passage of play began when a kick to the goal-line was contested by Maroons winger Jojo Fifita and debutant Bostock. The ball hit the ground and was gathered by Best, who ran the length of Suncorp Stadium to score and push NSW's lead beyond two converted tries at a stage when Queensland — trailing 18-8 but with growing momentum after a try minutes earlier — was threatening a comeback.
The bunker reviewed multiple replays before allowing the try to stand, concluding there was insufficient evidence to overturn the on-field call. However, the NRL's post-match statement told a different story.
"Upon detailed review after the match, the NRL believes that while it was an extremely tight decision, the ball appeared to be touched," the league's statement read.
The controversy was compounded by the revelation that a Telstra outage on the night had severed communication between the centralised bunker in Sydney and Lang Park, forcing officials to operate from a makeshift video review facility inside a television truck — raising serious questions about the integrity of the review process at the most critical moment of the series.
Former Queensland captain Cameron Smith called for a formal review of the bunker system, saying that while the missed call may not have ultimately altered the final result, it occurred at a pivotal moment in the match.
Queensland's Bright Spots in a Series to Forget
For the Maroons, there were few positives to take from the decider. Queensland's most dangerous player with ball in hand during the first half was Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, rated 6.5, despite absorbing a heavy tackle from Hudson Young midway through the opening forty. He was, however, unable to prevent Best's runaway try when it mattered most in the second half. Selwyn Cobbo managed a try of his own but otherwise struggled to make an impact after a strong earlier game in the series.
With the series now decided and questions swirling over the bunker's reliability, the NRL faces a difficult off-season conversation — while New South Wales celebrates one of its more memorable Origin victories on enemy soil.
