Miracle try seals it
NSW broke Queensland hearts in the Origin curtainraiser, with Burleigh’s Alo’fiasna Khan-Pereira’s two-try effort not enough to help the under-16 Maroons to a win.
The Bears flyer’s second try five minutes before fulltime levelled the scores and put the Maroons back in the match after the baby Blues hit the lead inside the final 10 minutes.
But a field goal attempt by Queensland just over a minute from fulltime turned into a 105m try for Newcastle centre Bradman Best.
Bradman initially looked to be trapped in his in-goal as three Maroons flew at him.
But he evaded them, racing to score the winner, NSW eventually triumphing 22-16.
The Gold Coast had a massive presence in the game, providing seven members of the Queensland team, five of them coming from Burleigh.
Currumbin five-eighth Tom Deardon and Helensvale prop Stephan Holo joined Bears quintet Khan-Pereira, Evans, Ryan Garner, Eli Morgan and Nelson Grove in maroon.
The Blues also boasted a Coast flavour, with hooker Jed Edwards, now at the Eels, having spent the past two years in the Bears’ junior program.
And they played a big part, with Khan-Pereira and Will Evans scoring all three Queensland tries.
Centre Evans opened the scoring early in the first half, with Carina’s Ezra Coulston giving the Maroons a 6-0 lead.
Newcastle’s Cooper Jenkins crossed seven minutes from halftime but the young Maroons retained their lead, with Thomas Demeio’s conversion attempt unsuccessful.
Khan-Pereira finished off a sweeping backline move, diving over in the corner to extend the Maroons’ lead, while Coulston converted from the sideline to give Queensland a 12-4 buffer at the break.
They maintained their lead until midway through the second half, when bench forward Blake Dowel barged over.
Few could have predicted the drama that would follow in the heart-breaking loss.