New South Wales recorded an 18-6 win over Queensland in the State of Origin opener, and the margin could have been bigger if it wasn't for some poor goalkicking.
Nathan Cleary slotted a penalty goal in the ninth minute, but went on to miss three conversions in the first half.
With the game wrapped up late, Blues teammate Zac Lomax was given the tee before sending his sole conversion attempt wide.
Maroons goal-kicker Valentine Holmes also shanked his shot from the sideline.
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This led to some interesting theories regarding the ball used in Game I.
Andrew Johns declared that the balls used in Origin are "a little bit fatter", with the added graphics changing their shape.
"I'm going down to the sheds, I'm going to ask Nathan about it in the fair dinkum department whether the balls were a little bit different," he said on Channel 9's broadcast.
"Even the sound of the ball when they were kicking, it just sounded different. Mitchell Moses kicked one in-goal, he never does that."
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Cleary denied theories of an altered ball, admitting that his kicking was simply not up to standard.
"The last one I kicked was definitely just an f-up," he said.
"I think I'll reflect on that, and I think there was a bit going on in my brain. I had so many things I wanted to do.
"I've thought about being back in this arena so often, and so many things I wanted to do, and sometimes I need to calm down a bit and go through the processes."
The league has since confirmed that the Steeden balls used at Origin level follow the same specifications as the balls used in the NRL.