Laurie Daley's return to the New South Wales hot seat was a successful one after the Blues came away from Suncorp Stadium with an 18-6 win.
In what probably should have been a wider margin had the Blues brought their kicking boots, Billy Slater and the Maroons look to have a mountain to climb if they're to win back the shield in 2025.
We take a look at the key moments, what you might have missed and the ramifications to come from the series opener.
MORE: Blues player ratings | Maroons player ratings
Blues win the mental battle
You didn't need to be a world-class lip reader to figure out what Spencer Leniu thought when realised the kickoff wouldn't be going to his side after he was subbed on.
The Blues enforcer was painted as public enemy number one in Queensland throughout the buildup but his introduction to the game didn't come with the expected fireworks.
Down 10-0 with 10 minutes to go before halftime, the Maroons kicked away from the fired-up front-rower, rather than giving themselves an opportunity to make a statement on his first involvement.
Spencer Leniu when he realised Queensland weren’t going to kick off to him 😳😂 #stateoforigin pic.twitter.com/27q95uFwRt
— Coach Liam (@tacklingcoach) May 28, 2025
You may argue it was the right move tactically, but it's not like Queensland to shirk a challenge and, in our opinion, showed they the Blues came into the contest more prepared for the physical battle.
Changes coming for Queensland?
In light of the Blues' dominance, particularly through the middle of the park, Slater will almost certainly make some changes to his squad for Game 2.
For starters, Corey Horsburgh could add some steel to a forward pack in dire need of reinforcements.
Trent Loiero wasn't able to make much of an impact off the bench, while Beau Fermor had little opportunity in just 17 minutes.
Would the in-form Titans backrower be better utilised in a starting role and Reuben Cotter redeployed through the middle, giving Moeaki Fotuaika the chance to come off the bench?
Elsewhere, Tom Dearden looked among the most dangerous Maroons when he came on and ought to be in the frame from the start, but can Slater drop his skipper in Daly Cherry-Evans?
Meanwhile, Harry Grant was also well down on his influential best.
The Storm man, who came into the game off the back of just 55 minutes in seven weeks following a hamstring injury, will be given the benefit of the doubt, but the impact of Connor Watson off the bench for the Blues highlighted the importance of a second hooker at Origin level.
Notable agent provocateur Reed Mahoney could be an option for Slater, either starting or off the bench, and you can bet he'll do his best to ignite the hostilities after a Game 1 which largely lacked the typical Origin spice.
Spoiler alert
Along with the grand final, State of Origin matches are among the few games not available on Kayo or Foxtel.
That means we are forced to watch on Channel Nine, or the network's streaming platform, 9Now.
If you're someone who watches the footy while messaging friends, family and other fans, you may have noticed the significant delay.
Those tuning into the satellite broadcast found themselves more than a minute ahead of the stream.
Of course, streaming naturally comes with a bit of a delay, but this was far beyond what's typical compared to Foxtel vs. Kayo.
All that's to say, be careful reacting to a moment if the rest of the groupchat is yet to see it.
Second thoughts?
If the reports are to be believed, Daly Cherry-Evans to the Roosters is a done deal, with the move set to cost them young playmaker Sandon Smith as they make room for the veteran halfback.
At 36, Cherry-Evans became the oldest Origin player in Game 1 and, as it turned out, he looked it at times.
The No. 7 offloaded much of the playmaking duties to an overwhelmed Cameron Munster and had little impact himself behind a forward pack that was well beaten.
Cherry-Evans form has hardly been stellar at club level this season since his departure from Manly was confirmed, while in contrast, Smith and his rookie halves partner Hugo Savala have been growing in confidence and performance by the week.
With Sam Walker due back from an ACL injury over the next month, the Roosters appear to be a side on the up after a slow start to the year.
Is an ageing DCE, on big money, the right move for the Tricolours?