Heading into the 2026 State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium, New South Wales fans could be forgiven for fearing the worst. The venue is known for its hostile atmosphere and the stadium can be almost deafening, especially when fans yell “Queenslander” from the maroon-hued stands.
Since the beginning of the three-game Origin series in 1982, there have been 10 deciders played in Queensland; seven have been won by the home state, three by NSW and a sole draw in 1999.
This series’ game three looks to be an uphill battle for the Blues after they were battered in front of a Queensland-centric crowd at the MCG in game two. In Brisbane, it will be a different story again, and there are doubts about whether the Blues can win the decider against a loud and proud Maroons crowd at home.
However, history shows it is possible – on three occasions the Blues have claimed the shield with a game-three victory in enemy territory.
1994: Queensland 12-27 NSW
It was Mal Meninga’s Origin farewell that took centre stage for the 1994 series decider. NRL greats such as Ricky Stuart, Steve Renouf, Alan Langer, Paul Harragon, Brett Mullins, Brad Fittler and Laurie Daley littered the field in front of 40,000 Queenslanders on a cold night at Lang Park.
It was, however, NSW who silenced the celebrations early, as the visitors went in at half-time 18-6 after having scored three tries, including one from Daley, who beat four players to put the ball down next to the posts. Andrew Gee crashed over just before half-time to give Queensland their only points of the first half.
On-field fireworks started the second half, as punches thrown by Gee on Blues player Dean Pay fired up the crowd, before a memorable try by Renouf shrunk the Maroons’ deficit to just three points. Momentum was firmly in Queensland’s corner, but a drop from Meninga led to a try for Fittler, which sealed the series for the Blues.
It marked the last time Origin would be played at the venue officially known as Lang Park, as it became Suncorp Stadium at the end of that year.
2005: Queensland 10-32 NSW
Eleven years after the series-deciding win at Lang Park, a very different NSW side headed to Suncorp looking to win a third straight series, with dreams of repeating the heroics of the 1992, 1993, and 1994 teams.
It was a mix of the old and the new; future immortal Andrew Johns headlined for the Blues alongside Anthony Minichiello, while Darren Lockyer, Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith lined up for the Maroons in front of a deafening 52,000-strong crowd in Brisbane for game three.
after newsletter promotion
It was a game to forget for Queensland as the Blues put on a dominant display, scoring three tries to make it 18-0 early, sucking the soul out of Suncorp heading into half-time. The second half offered little reprieve, with Matt King completing a hat-trick and getting his team out to a 32-0 lead before Thurston and Matt Bowen scored garbage time consolation tries.
They didn’t know it at the time, but the positive from a Maroons perspective was that this would be the last series win for the Blues for some time, as Queensland would go on to win a historic eight straight series under the guidance of Meninga, Smith and Thurston.
2024: Queensland 4-14 NSW
After a slew of rule changes and the creation of the NRL bunker, the Blues had a chance to stop Queensland from going on another era of dominance.
Having haunted NSW on the pitch for almost a decade, familiar foes Slater and Thurston were now in the coaches’ box, with designs on torturing their southern neighbours for many more years to come.
Their opposite number in the NSW box was stalwart coach Michael Maguire, brought in in 2024 to install toughness into the Blues. Maguire inspired his team to a resounding win at the MCG in game two, setting the scene for a compelling series decider. How would NSW deal with the pressure? It had been 19 years since a series-deciding Blues win at Suncorp.
With no score on the board at the 30-minute mark, the tension inside the stadium was palpable. There were no surprises when a scuffle between Jarome Luai and Daly Cherry-Evans broke out, leading both players to be sin-binned for the remainder of the first half. The only score at half-time was a two-point conversion from Valentine Holmes.
It remained unbearably close in the second half until Luai burst through the line, passing to Bradman Best, who found the line for the Blues’ first try. Four minutes later, Mitchell Moses weaved his way through for a second, sending the away fans inside the stadium into delirium, and proving that winning in the Maroons’ back yard in a do-or-die game is still possible.
