Tough call hands Queensland Origin win

24 May 2012, 6:22 am   -   Source: AAP
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(Getty)

(Getty)

One brave decision, one moment of madness and Queensland are one win away from extending State of Origin's longest dynasty to a seventh consecutive year after an 18-10 win in the series opener in Melbourne.

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One brave decision, one moment of madness and Queensland are one win away from extending State of Origin's longest dynasty to a seventh consecutive year after an 18-10 win in Wednesday night's series opener in Melbourne.

The Blues were left lamenting a pair of crucial calls before a packed Etihad Stadium, with Michael Jennings harshly sin-binned for a wild haymaker and video referee Sean Hampstead controversially awarding a Greg Inglis match-winner seven minutes from time.

With Queensland clinging to a 12-10 lead, Hampstead ruled Blues hooker Robbie Farah had deliberately kicked the ball out of Inglis's hands as he attempted to score.

NSW skipper Paul Gallen - who had a running battle with the referees all night - expressed his bemusement.

"How the hell is that a try?" he asked.

"This is ridiculous where this is getting."

However, NSW coach Ricky Stuart conceded it was a fair try, despite its ungainliness.

But despite biting his tongue, he was less than impressed with the actions of Jennings or the referees following the 22nd minute all-in scuffle that changed the course of the game after the Blues had taken an early 4-0 lead via Akuila Uate.

"It was a silly action (by Jennings)," Stuart said, the incident costing Jennings a grade one contrary conduct charge that will see him miss one match, even with an early guilty plea.

"Am I disappointed about the fight, no, I just wish there was more people involved in it.

"It was six or seven (Queenslanders) onto one at one stage and Jenno ran in about ninth.

"They didn't just pop up out of the ground."

Queensland coach Mal Meninga took issue with questioning over the two calls - claiming it shouldn't take away from what was a brave Maroons performance after they had been battered early by an expected Blues onslaught.

"I thought it was a deliberate act coming in over the top so I thought it was a fair call," Meninga said of the Jennings binning.

"It was a strong decision by the referee.
 
"It's a special team they keep on believing in what they're doing ... instead of asking questions about who swung a punch or if that try's fair dinkum, you should be reporting about the greatness of that game.

"It was a great game of football."

Darius Boyd, who hasn't managed one try in ten games for Newcastle this year, scored a double for the Maroons, his opener coming with the Blues reduced to 12 men with Jennings - dropped from his club side Penrith due to alleged attitude issues - off the field.

"Sir, are you for real? This is a state of origin game - it's different you know," Gallen told referee Matt Cecchin as he voiced his disgust at the decision to bin Jennings.

Boyd scored his second on the back of some Johnathan Thurston brilliance just before the break - Jennings' return to the field doing little to help stop the momentum which had now swung Queensland's way with the Blues paying the price for a mountain of defensive work.

Jennings went some way to making up for his binning when he crossed three minutes after the restart, but a timid decision to go for a penalty goal which would have levelled the scores backfiring when Todd carney - who had a quiet debut - pushed it wide from 40 metres out.

There was another near miss as a loafing Sam Thaiday just grounded the ball before a flying Brett Stewart.

That was the last genuine chance for the Blues with Inglis' late four-pointer seeing him become Origin's greatest try-scorer with his 13th try.

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