BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

New South Wales Blues fans across the great state woke up on Thursday morning blurry-eyed and maybe just a slightly bit confused.

What the hell happened?

On one of the craziest nights in the history of State of Origin, the Blues smashed Queensland 38-18.

At half-time it was 34-0.

The Blues didn’t just bash Queensland, they dragged them by their nose and scorched the earth with their limp carcass.

Rookie Origin coach Michael Maguire could be excused if he peeled himself off his hotel room floor today, sans front tooth, and found a tiger in his bathroom.

Down 1-0 in the series after losing in Sydney and facing a seemingly impossible mission to Suncorp Stadium and a potential decider, the Blues needed to make a statement at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

They couldn’t just win.

Victory on its own wouldn’t be enough at the MCG in Game II.

The Blues needed to break Queensland.

Annihilate them into a million tiny pieces.

One of those tight Origin “classics” with the Maroons fighting back with all that supposed Queenslander spirit, only for the Blues to jag it late, sending everyone home happy wouldn’t cut it.

It would have given the Blues just enough hope that they could create a miracle in Game III.

Most certainly, Queensland would have walked out of the MCG licking their lips and grinning like cheshire cats.

With the Blue avalanche well and truly under way and nearing half-time, the Blues were up 22-0 after a whirlwind start to the game.

Maguire’s NSW had the foot on the throat.

As it generally goes in Origin, you could have forgiven the Blues for losing some shape or the Maroons to fire a shot or two back.

Instead Maguire sent out the snarling, fire-breathing leviathan Spencer Leniu.

The Blues scored.

And again.

Some teams in the AFL don’t even score 34 in a half of football at the MCG.

Maroons coach Billy Slater looked shocked in the commentary box.

In the lead-up to Game II, Slater was laser-focused and flat batted every hand grenade his counterpart Maguire lobbed at him.

By half-time, Slater, Daly Cherry-Evans and company looked like Bambi in the headlights of a runaway road train.

NSW had eviscerated whatever mystique Queensland had.

A Game III decider at Suncorp Stadium just became a whole lot easier because of the statement made in Melbourne.

The Blues need to keep firing.

Beetson Raudonikis Medal 2024 – State of Origin II

Right from the first second in Brisbane.

The aura of the Maroons – the “Queensland spirit” has been broken.

If it bleeds, we can kill it.

NSW need to finish the job.

@woodward_curtis