BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Center Bradman Best fended off two players to score the go-ahead try in the 65th minute and help give New South Wales a 14-4 win over Queensland on Wednesday in the third and deciding match in the annual State of Origin rugby league series in Australia.
Mitchell Moses scored a second try four minutes later to clinch the victory for the Blues, who had not won a deciding match in Brisbane since 2005 and only achieved it once before that — in 1994.
The Maroons beat New South Wales 38-18 at Sydney and New South Wales came back to tie the series with a 38-10 victory in Melbourne, both in June.
Valentine Holmes kicked a pair of penalty goals to account for all of the Queensland scoring.
His first in the 41st minute opened the scoring and New South Wales leveled at 2-2 with a Zac Lomax penalty five minutes into the second half. Holmes then put Queensland ahead again in the 64th minute before the late tries by the Blues.
Cameron Murray and Jeremiah Nanai were sent off for 10 minutes as tempers flared in the first half and spilled over to the sideline. Queensland backrower Nanai elevated a push-and-shove between his captain Daly Cherry-Evans and New South Wales playmaker Jarome Luai when he barged into the pair, before Murray came from the bench to join the action.
Players came from all sides — some even wearing suits as non-playing squad members — and television monitors and chairs were scattered by brawl.
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The Associated Press
