State of Origin: Queensland win Origin I after NSW's Joseph Suaalii sent off for high shot on Reece Walsh

Queensland are within touching distance of a third straight State of Origin series victory after Joseph Suaalii’s early send off condemned NSW to a 38-10 flogging at Accor Stadium.

In a horror start to Michael Maguire’s tenure as NSW coach, Suaalii lasted just seven minutes on debut before being sent off for a late and high hit on Reece Walsh.

The shot made him the fastest man sent off in Origin history and it immediately ruled Walsh out of the rest of Game I, as he remained flat on the floor.

Queensland were able to bring super-sub Selwyn Cobbo off their bench and into the centres, while NSW paid the price for having no back on their bench.

As NSW played one short on their right edge, Queensland ran in two first-half tries down that side with Jaydn Su’A and Cobbo both riding roughshod.

The Blues eventually shifted Stephen Crichton to right centre to shut down the Maroons’ threat before halftime, but by then the damage had been done.

Queensland led 20-6 giving NSW an insurmountable mountain to climb.

The path to the Blues’ first series victory since 2021 looks equally difficult for Maguire’s men, with the final two games in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Only the 1994 NSW side has come back to win the series after losing the first game at home and being asked to spend the rest of the series on the road.

NSW started the better of the teams in the opening minutes on Wednesday night, winning the early territorial battle.

But when Nicho Hynes put a grubberkick dead, the Maroons went down field with Daly Cherry-Evans skipping out of dummy-half to put Ben Hunt over.

When Suaalii was marched, the game changed.

Su’A and Cobbo both offloaded in the lead-up to one try for Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, while Cobbo brushed off Zac Lomax to put the makeshift fullback over for another.

And while NSW got the game back to 20-10 early in the second half through tries to James Tedesco and Lomax, Queensland were able to pull away again late.

After holding out a NSW attacking raid with 13 minutes to play, Queensland went the length of the field when Cobbo and Hunt broke through the line on back-to-back plays.

Man-of-the-match Cherry-Evans then put the game beyond all doubt when he intercepted an Isaah Yeo pass moments later, running 60 metres before grubber-kicking for Xavier Coates to score.

Tabuai-Fidow also bagged a third try late to seal the Maroons’ biggest-ever win in Sydney.

“With (Suaalii) getting sent off we really had to try and be patient and control the game,” five-eighth Tom Dearden said.

“I thought we invited them into the game a few times but it was good that we found our footy and got the job done.”

On a night of few bright spots for the Blues, Lomax impressed on debut with several good runs and a second-half try from a Hynes bomb.

Tedesco also had some good moments after his rollercoaster week, chasing through on a Jarome Luai grubber to score in the first half.

And while Spencer Leniu was powerful with ball in hand and Liam Martin damaging in defence, it always appeared a task too hard.

“It was a tough night,” captain Jake Trbojevic said.

“Not too much went to plan. There was a period there (after half-time) where the boys showed a lot of fight so we’ll take something from that.”

STATE OF ORIGIN I AT A GLANCE:

RESULT: Queensland defeated NSW 38-10 at Accor Stadium, Sydney in front of 77,214.

KEY MOMENT: Joseph Suaalii’s send-off for a late and high shot on Reece Walsh after just eight minutes sent NSW into a tailspin. Selwyn Cobbo proved a more than handy replacement and his destruction helped exposed a 12-man Blues side who understandably wilted against a Maroons side boasting a numerical advantage.

QUOTE: “I can imagine he’s got a fair bit of emotion and we’ve got to get around him ... it was a line ball, it’s disappointing to see him get sent off” - Blues coach Michael Maguire addresses Joseph Suaalii’s dismissal.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Skipper and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans led from the front for the Maroons. He flew out of dummy half to put Ben Hunt in for the Maroons’ first try, his 40/20 put paid to NSW’s attempted fightback early in the second half and when he picked off Isaah Yeo’s pass and bolted down the field to send Xavier Coates in, the result was officially beyond doubt at 32-10 with 10 minutes to play.

TALKING POINT: What does Michael Maguire do to spark the Blues in Origin II in Melbourne later this month? Maguire’s recalled fullback James Tedesco was outstanding, Suaalii may be lucky to play again this series after his send-off which thwarted the Blues following their decision not to carry an outside back on the bench. Elsewhere, Nicho Hynes struggled to control the game at halfback, while prop Jake Trbojevic played only 29 minutes in a quiet first game as captain. Kotoni Staggs, Mitch Moses, Wayde Egan and Cody Walker are among the Blues players injured for game one who will be available for game two on June 26, should Maguire look to make changes.

KEY STATS: NSW have now lost five of the previous six series openers played in Sydney. The Blues’ last Origin I win on home soil came back in 2013. The win was also Queensland’s biggest in Sydney in Origin’s 45-year history. When he crossed in the final two minutes, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow became the first player to score a hat-trick of Origin tries since Val Holmes in game three of the 2017 series.

INJURIES: Reece Walsh (Queensland) - concussion.