REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday June 25, 2009

QUEENSLAND claimed the greatest winning streak in State of Origin history with one of the bravest performances the game had seen.

With five players struck down by a stomach virus in 24 hours and four players injured throughout the match, including matchwinning star Greg Inglis, the Maroons fought on to claim a 24-14 win over NSW at ANZ Stadium to secure a record fourth straight series.

And for the fourth year in a row, the never-say-die Maroons secured the trophy in foreign territory.

"Tonight is a night we will never forget," said hooker Cameron Smith.

The Maroons led 18-0 after 23 minutes thanks to several NSW mistakes, then held tight as the Blues regained composure to fight their way back into the contest.

The Blues reduced the deficit to 18-14 with a David Williams try in the 62nd minute, but NSW couldn’t deliver a killer punch.

Smith eventually sealed the win and series with 109 seconds left on the clock by collecting Luke O’Donnell’s tryline fumble to score beneath the posts.

It gave the Maroons an unbeatable 2-0 lead and the longest series-winning streak in the 30-year history of Origin football.

"We have to celebrate this. We have got the series and we made history so we’ve got to make the most of it," said elated captain Darren Lockyer.

Lock Dallas Johnson played despite being on a drip all day for a violent stomach bug while four other players were reportedly ill also.