Hodkinson��s moment sums up brave Blues

Trent Hodkinson scored the try than won the game and the series for NSW. Source: Philip Hillyard / News Corp Australia

For 71 minutes on Wednesday night it looked like this was going to be another case of history repeated for NSW. The Blues halves were under attack.

Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds, in their first series, were being overrun by the enthusiasm of their more experienced teammates.

While Daly Cherry-Evans and Johnathan Thurston were involved in every opportunity that went Queensland's way, the Blues appeared in disarray.

Wondering which way to go, what to do next.

Queensland did their best to stop NSW from playing the ball. Source: Getty Images

This had been our biggest problem for the past eight years — and with nine minutes remaining, it appeared as though NSW were heading towards an all too familiar ending.

But then the hero stepped up.

On NSW's fifth straight set in Queensland's territory, the ball went left to Hodkinson — and the man wearing the Blues No 7 jumper took ownership of the match.

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Finally Queensland's eight-year reign was over.

But the Blues took a painful path to victory.

The stoush between Beau Scott and Cameron Smith summed up the competition. Source: News Corp Australia

Two Thurston penalty goals had Queensland 4-0 at halftime and only a Josh Reynolds toenail saved the Blues from being 10-0 down at the break.

The Blues tactics to try and put the Maroons off the game actually started before the home team even left their dressing rooms with Queensland made to wait for several minutes before the Blues ran out.

And from there, they took up every chance to try and upset the visitors.

More often than not, Jarryd Hayne found his path blocked by Maroons. Source: News Corp Australia

Robbie Farah pinned a target on Cherry-Evans throughout the first half while over the other side of the field Greg Bird and Beau Scott gave Thurston a good old fashion hammering.

But Queensland weathered the onslaught and by the break they were slowly gaining the upper hand and Thurston and Cherry-Evans were right in the thick of everything they were doing.

In the seconds counting down to halftime Thurston threaded a hole for Justin Hodges to take the ball deep inside Blues territory and from the next play Cherry-Evans grubbered for himself only the quick reaction from Reynolds saved the try.

It was hardly one of the great Origin halves of football but from Queensland's perspective it was a job well done.

Jarryd Hayne's intervention sees Sam Thaiday lose the ball over the try line. Source: Getty Images

Queensland continued to get the better of the chances early in the second half and only desperation save the Blues having two tries put on them.

Hayne knocked the ball out of Sam Thaiday's hands to deny one chance while a Cherry-Evans' crossfield bomb landed in the arms of Brent Tate but this time it was Daniel Tupou who denied the Maroons.

Still 4-0 to Queensland and with a quarter of the match remaining time was running out for the Blues — and with that pressure was mounting.

Going into the final 15 minutes NSW had five straight sets inside Queensland's quarter.

Farah went within inches of scoring, so did Bird. But the problem, the big problem, was the same thing that had been happening all night.

Trent Hodkinson found the gap — and scored the series-winning try. Source: News Corp Australia

The Blues playmakers were overrun by the enthusiasm, and experience.

But finally, in the 71st minute, Hodkinson took the ball, a dummy outside, and off he went, straight past Cherry-Evans for NSW's most crucial try in nine years.

Finally, a NSW halfback finished the hero.

The young man who considered quitting the game not so long ago because of a series of terrible injuries had comeback to write his name in Origin folklore.

The name Trent Hodkinson to be forever remembered as the man who ended eight years of punishment for NSW.

All because he took charge when he had to.

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