The 2025 State of Origin series is headed for a decider in Sydney after Queensland held on to a 26-24 victory.
After a horror first half for the Blues, a second half rally almost led to one of the greatest Origin comebacks in the history of the concept.
It wasn't to be however, because in typical Maroons fashion, they did just enough to grind out a close and gruelling contest.
The Blues will now have to dust themselves off and get back to their Game 1 performance as they head back home.
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State of Origin 2025 Game 2: NSW Blues player ratings
1- Dylan Edwards - 5.5
Dylan Edwards was reliable as ever in his limited opportunities at the back. Whilst his attacking involvements were limited, the mark of his game was the effort areas that he has become renowned for. His organisation of the defensive line and positional play was excellent, however, he didn't impose himself on the game enough to make a significant difference to the result.
2- Brian To'o - 8.5
To'o was the best player o the park for New South Wales. He not only lit up the stat sheet with three tries and 226 run metres.
The Panthers winger seemed to be in everything positive for the Blues and was rewards for his efforts.
The only blemish on his game was in the first half he got out-leaped for an Xavier Coates try, but apart from that he was outstanding.
3 - Stephen Crichton - 6.5
Chrichton didn't see much ball in the first half with the amount of errors the Blues made.
His presence was felt defensively, locking down that left edge as he has been known to do. The Bulldogs skipper did have one of the biggest plays of the game when he crossed the stripe in the second half.
4 - Latrell Mitchell - 6
Mitchell played an interesting role for his side early in the game as he was tasked on multiple occasions with the long-kicking duties for the Blues.
The Maroons exploited the newly-formed combination defensively between Mitchell and Luai to score one of their manny first half tries.
Outside of that moment, the strike centre was solid. He didn't overplay his hand and provided the final touch on a couple of the Blues tries.
He also had a pivotal one-on-one strip which changed the momentum of the game.
5- Zac Lomax - 5.5
The high-flying wingers performance will likely be remembered for his missed conversions which were ultimately the difference between the two sides.
However, the real story of his game was his exceptional work staring and finishing sets.
In yardage he was strong, accounting for 115 metres with 37 post-contact; but he was also a threat in the air, contesting multiple Nathan Cleary bombs to good effect.
6 - Jarome Luai - 5
This was a game of two halves for Luai who came in to replace the injured Mitchell Moses on short notice.
He started the game by kicking the ball out on the full and making several other plays that seemed uncharacteristically frantic.
He managed to pull it back with a grubber kick which led to a Brian To'o try, a move he would run back in the second half for an ANgus Crichton four-pointer.
The Tigers playmaker was instrumental inn the Blues comeback, acting as a link-man vetween the damaging forwards and the slick outside backs.
7. Nathan Cleary - 5
It was an up-and-down night for Cleary who was put in a tough position, particularly in the first half, to run a side that made an abundance of errors and gave away a mountain of penalties.
Cleary challenged the Queensland middles early by changing the angles and straightening his side up.
Whilst this may not have had much of an effect in the first half, his work in the opening stages of the game ultimately played dividends when the Blues made huge dents in the Maroons defensive line during their late rally.
8 - Max King - 4.5
King was aggressive during his time on the field but couldn't get anything significant going given that he only played 26-minutes.
The Bulldogs enforcer's best role is to act as the steadying hand in the middle over a long period, but given Laurie Daley's rotation, king didn't get to show that part of his game tonight.
9 - Reece Robson - 5.5
Robson had some nice touches where he got out of dummy half and attacked some tired Queensland middles.
However, for most of the game, his pack was on the back foot which made it hard for him to have any major stamp on the contest.
His pass selection on key tackles also left a little to be desired which is something he is sure to improve on when Game 3 returns to Sydney.
10 - Payne Haas - 7.5
Haas had a target on his back from the opening kickoff, as Queensland clearly had a plan to get up in his face and not let him cause the carnage that he did in Brisbane.
Despite that, he still made 143 run metres with four tackle breaks and was able to get the Blues on the front foot after a miserable first half from his side.
11- Liam Martin - 4.5
Martin was emotionally prepared for the contest, putting a huge shot onTino Fa'asuamaleaui which led to an error. However, a few sets later, he made an error of his own which contributed to the Blues lack of possession in the first half.
12 - Angus Crichton - 7
Chrichton was stout defensively but didn't necessarily make his presence felt with the ball. His team was on the back foot and he tried to insert himself with some aggressive tackling, however, it ultimately wasn't enough to get the job don in Perth.
13 - Isaah Yeo - 7
Yeo was solid, running for 105 metres and making 32 tackles in two 27-minute stints. The responsibility falls on the captain to keep his side in line with their discipline which often boiled over during the game, which is something Yeo may have to look at in Game 3.
MORE: Who scored the first try of the match in Perth?
14 - Connor Watson - 7.5
Watson only got 20-minutes on the field but added some spark and contributed heavily to the Blues attempted comeback.
Running off the back of quick play the balls and good field position, the Roosters hooker was able to get out of dummy half a few different time to threaten around the ruck.
Watson seems to have found his ideal role in State of Origin and will be looking to provide that same impact in Sydney.
15 - Spencer Leniu - 7
There was a lot of hype surrounding Leniu heading into this game because of the antics of Game 1.
The Roosters enforcer took it upon himself to leave a mark on the game. When he took the field for his first stint, the Blues were in a deep hole and he tried to inspire his men by putting big hits on defensively.
His leg-speed around the middle was also a notable part of his performance.
16 - Hudson Young - 7
Young was excellent off the bench with 11 run metres in just 47-minutes. The weather made handling the football very difficult and Young was put in some positions where a lesser player might have made an error. However, Young was able to do his job well in a losing side.
17 - Stefano Utoikamanu - 7.5
Utoikamanu had one of his best games of the season considering the situation he was put in. He came on the field when the Blues were in trouble, and while it was impossible for the Storm prop to stop the bleeding on his own, he had a tangible effect in attack and defence.
In typical Melbourne fashion, Utoikamanu's best moments were without the ball. pushing up off of his other forwards when they ran the footy, as well as continuing to move his feet in defence. This was the performance Daley would've been looking for after handing the towering forward his jersey.