MAROONS CLINCH ORIGIN

KEVIN Walters’s Maroons last night produced one of the finest fightbacks as an old dog and two young pups inspired Queensland’s epic seriesclinching 22-6 defeat of NSW in the Origin decider.

Before a ground record 52,540 at Suncorp Stadium, the Maroons overcame the loss of Origin II casualties Johnathan Thurston and Darius Boyd as they found fresh heroes to break the Blues.

Magnificent Cameron Smith produced a skipper’s knock in his 42nd Origin game, providing the inspiration for debutant Cameron Munster and hat-trick hero Valentine Holmes to torment the Blues.

Queensland’s dynasty was on the verge of collapse after it suffered a humiliating 28-4 loss in Origin I.

But returning to the scene of that rout, the Maroons were never headed, bolting to a 12-0 halftime lead before Holmes and Munster floored NSW with a one-two punch to clinch an 11th series win in 12 years.

Amid the euphoria, Smith clinched man-of-the-match honours, Dane Gagai snared the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series, and coach Walters savoured consecutive series wins.

Munster was magnificent filling in for Thurston at fiveeighth, while Holmes was electric, scoring a first-half double before his treble in the 60th minute speared the Blues.

The emotion was capped by the sight of the injured Thurston rushing on to the field at full-time to embrace his Maroons comrades after Smith ran across field to find him.

The Blues dictated terms in the series opener at Suncorp but on this occasion, it was Queensland who set the early pace. The Maroons were sharp around the rucks, powerful in the middle-third and dynamic on the edges.

In Game 1, NSW had a trump card in Andrew Fifita. Last night, Queensland countered with Origin’s greatest servant — Cameron Smith.

He did not so much raise the bar as summon 42 games of Origin know-how to impose his tactical will on the beleaguered Blues.

Wherever you looked, Smith was Queensland’s pied piper. He had touches at first receiver. He fed the backline at second receiver. Mainly, he sliced and diced from hooker, deconstructing the Blues with the poise and precision of a neurosurgeon.

His sublime display crystallised the gulf between these fierce foes.