The Queensland Maroons defeated the New South Wales (NSW) Blues 44-24 in Game 2 of the 2026 State of Origin series on June 17, 2026. The victory levels the three-game series at 1-1 and forces a decider on July 8 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Twenty-four-year-old rookie halfback Sam Walker delivered a Man-of-the-Match performance for Queensland. Walker stepped up to command the offense when veteran five-eighth Cameron Munster was forced off the field for a 15-minute Head Injury Assessment following a heavy fall. Walker finished perfect with the boot, kicking eight from eight attempts and racking up 444 kick metres in front of an all-time State of Origin record crowd of 91,671 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Queensland fell behind 12-2 early in the first half before steadying the ship to enter halftime down by just four points. In the second half, Walker orchestrated a brutal offensive onslaught alongside a hat-trick performance from winger Selwyn Cobbo, locking down the 44-24 final scoreline and overwhelming the Blues’ defense. But the NSW squad was unable to mount a response, a sharp contrast to the resilient historic State of Origin comeback they secured in previous matchups.
Maroons head coach Billy Slater praised his squad’s resilience. Slater noted his players successfully executed their “soft contingencies” when Munster was taken off for his HIA. This real-time adjustment paved the way for Queensland to score 36 points in the second half, setting a new record for the most points scored by any team in a single half in Origin history.
Former Maroons captain Cameron Smith highly praised Walker’s fearlessness on the field. “It looks like Sam has played 20 Origins, not two,” Smith stated. Former Blues coach Phil Gould conceded the outcome, noting that Queensland was simply “more courageous with their attacking football.” The teams will now prepare for the final series decider in Brisbane.