The headlines after the Maroons’ incredible series-winning triumph in State of Origin III trumpeted “Queensland have done it again”, a 22-12 win delivered in traditionally spectacular style as massive underdogs over the highly fancied Blues.

But the headlines could just have easily been referring to Queensland once again rewriting Origin history, with one of the most stunning performances in Origin’s 42-year history at Suncorp Stadium in an unforgettable series decider.

On the ropes after copping a kicking in Game 2 in Perth, the Maroons regrouped, rearmed and reignited The Cauldron by producing one of the most courageous performances in Queensland’s storied Origin history.

The Maroons lost two players to Covid before kick-off, with winger Murray Taulagi and attacking lynchpin Cameron Munster withdrawing to force a reshuffle to the team.

Then, in a brutal opening three minutes to the game, the Maroons lost another two players to concussion as winger Selwyn Cobbo and prop Lindsay Collins were reduced to spectators for the evening, alongside Blues forward Cameron Murray.

With only 15 fit men, players out of position, and a rookie in Tom Dearden at five-eighth, Queensland was faced with its greatest on-field adversity since Wally Lewis’ Maroons had to win Game 2 of the 1989 series with just 12 men.

Now, 33 years after the game that defined State of Origin courage, Billy Slater’s Maroons have written another chapter into Queensland folklore, conjuring one of the greatest victories in what will rank as among the greatest Origin games ever played.

It was a genuine Origin classic that had absolutely everything.

The open warfare of the defence to start the game was an entrée of what was to come, with a main course of Queensland spirit and a dessert of individual brilliance that gave the Maroons their second series win in three years, and plunged another harpoon into the usual premature claims of a Blues dynasty.

At fulltime, the emotion among the Queenslanders was palpable – the tears in their eyes showed just what a significant victory this was, and how much it meant.

The list of Maroons heroes is long, and the checklist of magic moments even longer.

They will be the moments talked about with reverence by Queensland fans for years to come.

Dearden’s debut. Daly Cherry-Evans’ bomb to force an error before halftime, and Harry Grant’s pirouette-with-grubber to lay on a try for Kurt Capewell.

The breath-taking brilliance of Kalyn Ponga every time he touched the ball.

Valentine Holmes incredible heroics to save possession with a desperate dive over the sideline.

The massive motors of a forward pack asked to go above and beyond, led by the perpetual effort of Patrick Carrigan winning the Wally Lewis Medal in his first series, and the bubbling ferocity and menace of Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.

Dearden’s wonderful debut and Dane Gagai defending his young teammates like a lion – firstly sheltering an unconscious Cobbo as scuffling players swirled around him, then later punching on with Matt Burton after the Blues centre had taken a cheap shot at Ponga.

The six times the Maroons were denied tries by refereeing calls.

Ben Hunt’s game-changing 40-20 kick that allowed Ponga to score in the 60^th minute and give Queensland a 16-12 lead – the same score the Maroons had won by in that famous game back in 1989.

And finally, Hunt’s sheer brilliance to seal the game with a 70-metre solo sizzler that nearly blew the roof off Suncorp Stadium.

The Blues, trying to do a Queensland on Queensland, were hard on the attack and had halfback Nathan Cleary shaping for a bomb, only for him to pull a fast one and opt for a chip kick to his five-eighth Jarome Luai instead.

But Hunt read it beautifully, snatching the ball out of the air and tearing downfield to bank the win and put himself on Origin’s all-time highlight reel.

Then finally, the pictures of a beaming coach in Billy Slater being emotionally embraced by his players at fulltime.

Just the fifth coach to win an Origin series at his first attempt, Slater has done a remarkable job picking up the pieces of the disastrous 2021 campaign and not only righted the ship, but reignited the torch that has been passed down through generations of Queensland players.

After 126 Origin games, just when we thought we had seen everything, it produces possibly the greatest of them all.

And Queensland have done it again.

QLD 22 (Holmes, Capewell, Ponga, Hunt tries; Holmes 3 goals) d NSW 12 (Luai, Saifiti tries; Cleary 2 goals) at Suncorp Stadium. Halftime: NSW 12-10. Crowd: 52,385. Man of the Match: Kalyn Ponga. Wally Lewis Medal: Patrick Carrigan.