New South Wales won the 2026 Ampol State of Origin series 2-1 with a commanding 30-12 victory over Queensland in the Game 3 decider at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday, 8 July 2026. Nathan Cleary was named Man of the Match and won the Wally Lewis Medal as Player of the Series after posting 18 points from two tries and five goals, including a long-range penalty that sealed the result.
State of Origin 2026 Game 3 Match Details
The Blues claimed just their fourth decider win at Suncorp Stadium and their third straight victory at the venue.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | Queensland Maroons vs New South Wales Blues, Game 3, 2026 Ampol State of Origin |
| Date | Wednesday, 8 July 2026 |
| Venue | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Result | NSW 30-12 QLD (Blues win series 2-1) |
| Half-time | QLD 4-18 NSW |
| Man of the Match | Nathan Cleary (NSW): 18 points (2 tries, 4 conversions, 1 penalty goal) |
| Wally Lewis Medal | Nathan Cleary (NSW) |
| Crowd | 52,452 (sold out) |
| Referee | Ashley Klein |
| Touch Judges | Matt Noyen, Phil Henderson |
| Senior Review Official | Chris Butler |
2026 State of Origin Series Results
New South Wales won the series 2-1 after trading results across three dramatically different matches.
| Game | Venue | Result | Man of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 (27 May) | Accor Stadium, Sydney | NSW 22-20 QLD | Nathan Cleary |
| Game 2 (17 June) | MCG, Melbourne | QLD 44-24 NSW | Sam Walker |
| Game 3 (8 July) | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | NSW 30-12 QLD | Nathan Cleary |
Queensland raced to a 20-0 lead inside 21 minutes of Game 1 before Kalyn Ponga’s send-off in the 58th minute sparked the biggest comeback in Origin history. Nathan Cleary scored a crucial try and kicked three clutch goals to earn his first Man of the Match award of the series.
Game 2 in Melbourne initially followed a similar script, with the Blues leading 12-2 early and holding a six-point advantage at halftime. Queensland then produced an extraordinary second-half display, outscoring New South Wales 36-12 after the break. Selwyn Cobbo’s hat-trick headlined a 44-24 demolition that forced the decider.
Game 3 saw the Blues take control from the outset, building an 18-0 lead after 30 minutes through two Nathan Cleary tries and a Cameron Murray score. Queensland fought back either side of halftime but never seriously threatened to overturn the deficit, with Bradman Best’s 100-metre runaway try killing the Maroons’ momentum in the second half.
State of Origin 2026 Game 3 Match Highlights
Nathan Cleary answered every critic of his Origin record with a first-half masterclass that effectively decided the series inside 31 minutes.
First Half: Blues Blitz Silences Suncorp
Queensland had the better of the opening exchanges and earned an early penalty through a Hudson Young lifting tackle. However, the Blues gradually seized control through their kicking game, and Jack Bostock forced an error from Jojo Fifita under a Nathan Cleary bomb to hand NSW attacking field position.
Cleary struck first in the 15th minute, stepping past Kurt Capewell to ground the ball and open the scoring. The halfback then doubled his tally in the 27th minute after a sweeping team try that began with a Liam Martin sidestep on Cameron Munster. Martin offloaded to Stephen Crichton, who linked with Mark Nawaqanitawase before the ball found Cleary surging to the line. A set restart late in the tackle count had given the Blues a fresh set of six and they made it count.
Cameron Murray extended the lead to 18-0 in the 31st minute after Cleary produced a one-on-one strip on Selwyn Cobbo, who had hit the ground after breaking a tackle. Murray crashed over next to the posts and Suncorp Stadium fell silent.
Queensland hit back through Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in the 36th minute. The centre got on the outside of Crichton after forcing an error from Nawaqanitawase under a high ball. The Maroons could not convert, leaving the halftime score at 4-18 after a frantic final minute in which James Tedesco suffered a head clash attempting to tackle Briton Nikora and was ruled out via HIA. Tolutau Koula moved to fullback for the second half.
Second Half: Queensland Rally Falls Short
The Maroons needed a fast start to the second half and got one. Sam Walker left the field for an HIA in the 44th minute, bringing Reece Walsh into the game, and Selwyn Cobbo pounced on a fortuitous grubber that bounced off Koula’s legs and back into his hands to score in the 50th minute. With Suncorp Stadium finding its voice and the deficit cut to 10, Queensland had genuine momentum.
Bradman Best extinguished it in the 57th minute. A contested aerial bomb saw the ball knocked loose, and Best scooped it up near his own try line before running 100 metres. Kalyn Ponga gave chase but Best fended the Queensland fullback and scored under the posts. Cleary’s conversion took his tally to 16 points, making him the Blues’ greatest single-game point scorer in Origin history.
Jack Bostock’s departure through an HIA in the 62nd minute opened a gap in the NSW defensive line, and Jojo Fifita crossed in the corner in the 64th minute to bring Queensland within 12. Rob Toia appeared to have scored moments later after scooping up a Sam Walker bomb, but the Bunker disallowed the try for an offside player in the chase.
Cleary then settled the contest with a 40-metre penalty goal in the 71st minute, pushing the lead beyond two converted tries. Hudson Young crossed after the final siren to put an exclamation mark on a famous victory.
State of Origin Game 3 Scoring Summary
| Minute | Scorer | Team | Score (QLD-NSW) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Nathan Cleary try (Cleary conversion) | NSW | 0-6 |
| 27th | Nathan Cleary try (Cleary conversion) | NSW | 0-12 |
| 31st | Cameron Murray try (Cleary conversion) | NSW | 0-18 |
| 36th | Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow try (unconverted) | QLD | 4-18 |
| Half-time | 4-18 | ||
| 50th | Selwyn Cobbo try (unconverted) | QLD | 8-18 |
| 57th | Bradman Best try (Cleary conversion) | NSW | 8-24 |
| 64th | Jojo Fifita try (unconverted) | QLD | 12-24 |
| 71st | Nathan Cleary penalty goal | NSW | 12-26 |
| 80th+ | Hudson Young try (unconverted) | NSW | 12-30 |
HIA and Injury Notes
The physical toll of the decider was significant, with three players failing or requiring HIAs during the match.
- James Tedesco (NSW): Failed HIA at halftime after a head clash with Briton Nikora in the 40th minute; Tolutau Koula replaced him at fullback for the second half
- Sam Walker (QLD): Left the field for HIA in the 44th minute; passed and returned, with Reece Walsh covering at fullback and Kalyn Ponga moving to the bench during the assessment
- Jack Bostock (NSW): Failed HIA in the 62nd minute after hitting his head contesting a bomb; as the Blues’ second head injury, Ethan Strange was activated as the 18th man
State of Origin Game 3 Key Performers
Nathan Cleary headlined a dominant Blues display, but several players on both sides delivered impactful performances in the decider.
| Player (Team) | Performance |
|---|---|
| Nathan Cleary (NSW) | Man of the Match and Wally Lewis Medal winner; 18 points from two tries, four conversions and a penalty goal; orchestrated the 18-0 first-half blitz with a strip on Cobbo creating the third try; first decider win in five attempts |
| Bradman Best (NSW) | Match-turning 100-metre try in the 57th minute killed Queensland’s momentum; strong in defence and made the most of his first appearance of the series |
| Cameron Murray (NSW) | Scored the try that extended the lead to 18-0; provided go-forward from the interchange and shifted to the centres after Bostock’s HIA |
| Selwyn Cobbo (QLD) | Scored from a grubber that rebounded off Koula’s legs; created the most dangerous moments for the Maroons but could not replicate his Game 2 hat-trick heroics |
State of Origin Head-to-Head: Game 3 Decider Results Since 2005
The 2026 decider broke with recent history, as Queensland had won 10 of the previous 12 series deciders heading into the match. These are the Game 3 results from years the series was tied 1-1 heading into the final match.
| Year | Venue | Result | Series Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | NSW 30-12 QLD | NSW 2-1 |
| 2025 | Accor Stadium, Sydney | QLD 24-12 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2024 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | NSW 14-4 QLD | NSW 2-1 |
| 2022 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | QLD 22-12 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2020 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | QLD 20-14 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2019 | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | NSW 26-20 QLD | NSW 2-1 |
| 2017 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | QLD 22-6 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2015 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | QLD 52-6 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2013 | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | QLD 12-10 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2012 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | QLD 21-20 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2011 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | QLD 34-24 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2008 | ANZ Stadium, Sydney | QLD 16-10 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2006 | Docklands Stadium, Melbourne | QLD 16-14 NSW | QLD 2-1 |
| 2005 | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | NSW 32-10 QLD | NSW 2-1 |
Queensland still lead the all-time decider record 10-4 in this period, but the Blues have now won three of the last four, including back-to-back decider victories at Suncorp Stadium in 2024 and 2026.
Key State of Origin Series Trends: What the 2026 Result Broke
Several long-standing statistical patterns were shattered by the Blues’ victory at Suncorp Stadium.
- New South Wales had not won a decider after losing the second game since 2004. The Blues lost Game 2 by 20 points in Melbourne but won the decider by 18 points in Brisbane, ending a 22-year drought.
- Queensland had won 10 of the previous 12 series deciders. The Maroons’ dominance in deciding matches took a significant hit, with the Blues now winning three of the last four deciders (2019, 2024, 2026).
- Queensland had gone 8-1 in Game 3 matches at Suncorp since 2011. That record dropped to 8-2 after the Blues’ second consecutive victory at the venue.
- Laurie Daley had a 0-4 record in series-deciding Game 3s. That record is now 1-4 after the 30-12 win.
- The loser of Game 2 improved upon their losing margin in 18 of the last 20 Game 3s. This trend held: NSW lost Game 2 by 20 points but won Game 3 by 18, a 38-point swing in favour of the Blues.
How to Watch State of Origin 2026 Game 3 Replays
Full match replays and highlights from the decider are available across several platforms.
- 9Now offers free replays of the full match and highlights via the 9Now app and website
- Kayo Sports (from $29.99/month) provides on-demand replays alongside all regular-season NRL content; new customers can access a seven-day free trial
- Foxtel Now (from $84/month with the Sports package) also carries full match replays
- Watch NRL (watchnrl.com) offers replays for international viewers outside Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands
- NRL.com hosts the official match highlights, post-match press conferences and the Wally Lewis Medal presentation
| Platform | Type | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 9Now | Streaming app/web | Free |
| Kayo Sports | Streaming | From $29.99/month |
| Foxtel Now | Streaming | From $84/month |
| Watch NRL | International streaming | Subscription |
| NRL.com | Highlights and press conferences | Free |
Cleary’s Wally Lewis Medal masterclass sealed the Blues’ first series win since 2024 and ended Queensland’s Suncorp dominance.
