An ugly post-match incident has marred the aftermath of Wednesday night’s State of Origin Game III decider, with a New South Wales player narrowly avoiding being struck by a can full of liquid thrown from the crowd.
Following Queensland’s 24-12 victory over NSW at Accor Stadium, which saw the Maroons reclaim the Origin shield and Tom Dearden awarded the Wally Lewis Medal, Connor Watson was nearly hit by the projectile while walking to the stands to greet friends and family.
According to CODE Sports, the can, reportedly full of Canadian Club, missed Watson by mere inches and struck another spectator in the back.
The incident occurred as Watson made his way up the first tier of the stadium shortly after the post-match presentations.
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A stadium spokesperson confirmed that venue security is reviewing CCTV footage and working with police to investigate the matter.
Some absolute muppet NSW supporter launching a beer can at Connor Watson from the second deck.
— Mark Gottlieb (@MarkGottlieb) July 9, 2025
Lucky he didn’t cause serious injury. Hope they find this POS and ban him for life. #stateoforigin pic.twitter.com/htKSBX0CW8
“As I’m walking, a can of Canadian Club lands right next to me and it’s like someone had thrown it at me,” Watson told CODE Sports.
“If they did throw it... the words I want to use for it... I can’t say right now.
“If it was thrown, it’s disappointing to think someone thinks it’s OK to do that. If that got me in the head... it seemed like it came from the top level.”
Clearly frustrated by the incident, Watson continued:
“It’s disappointing to be honest. I’m just going up to visit my family and friends, I shouldn’t have to worry about someone throwing a can at me.
“If someone has done it, they should do something about it," Watson concluded.
The incident has drawn widespread condemnation, with many calling for tougher security measures and stricter penalties for dangerous fan behaviour at major sporting events.
Accor Stadium, the home of major NRL and State of Origin clashes, has since confirmed they are cooperating fully with authorities to identify the individual responsible and ensure appropriate action is taken.