Trailing 10-0 at half time after two quick-fire tries from Damien Cook and Josh Addo-Carr, the Maroons turned things around with two tries of their own at the start of the second period.

After looking directionless in attack during the opening 40, the Maroons' ferocious defence helped Queensland peg the Blues back in their own half before AJ Brimson and Xavier Coates crossed to put the Maroons ahead.

Revitalised, Queensland's defensive pressure increased, and when Daniel Tupou lost the ball in midfield, Cameron Munster stabbed the ball forward with his toe to score in the corner and extend the lead to eight.

The Blues were not done as Addo-Carr finished a scintillating attacking move to touch down in the right corner with five minutes remaining.

However, Cleary missed the sideline conversion and, despite Felise Kaufusi being sent to the bin, the Blues could not breach the Maroons' defence again.

Clinical Blues dominate first half

Questions were always going to be asked of how Origin would adapt to the faster game pace imposed under the new six again rule — and initial impressions revealed more space around the ruck, that both teams looked to exploit early.

In a frenetic, end-to-end opening, both teams had chances; Addo-Carr denied in the corner at one end by Brimson and Philip Sami, while Cook was forced into mopping up behind his own goal line after a well-weighted kick inside from Coates.

Queensland were initially the better of the two teams, forcing the Blues back into some frantic goal line defence in the opening quarter hour.

However, the Maroons were their own worst enemy at times, persisting with an expansive game but failing to deliver accurate passes to hand.

Those errors let the Blues off the hook and, after absorbing that early pressure, NSW scored the opening try of the game, streaking through the middle before Cook slammed the ball down after retrieving his own stab-kick forward off the trailing leg of Tino Faasiamaleaui.

Soon after the Blues were in again through Addo-Carr, the Maroons edge defence caught by some excellent ball movement from Cleary.

Although this Origin appeared to lack the blood and thunder of previous editions, the Blues were forced into some early changes, with captain Boyd Cordner forced from the field in the first half with yet another head knock.

The Roosters star returned after passing his HIA, although there will still be concerns due to his repeated problems at the back end of the condensed NRL season.

The Blues also lost Cameron Murray with a hamstring injury, leaving Fittler's side short of forward options in an Origin played at blistering pace.

Maroons' second-half turnaround

The second half saw a more dogged approach from the Maroons, hounding the Blues in defence and forcing deep kicks from inside their own half.

Maroons captain and man of the match Cherry-Evans admitted after the game that the message at half time was to be more direct, and Queensland did exactly that.

The increased pressure eventually got to the Blues' defence when Kurt Capewell broke past a soft tackle on the left side by Clinton Gutherson, then awkwardly stabbed a kick over the head of Tedesco for Brimson to pounce upon and touch down.

The Maroons quickly nabbed a second, an offload from Ben Hunt creating enough confusion to see Dane Gagai break down the right before releasing a thrilled Coates, who scored in the corner.

With the game shifting in their direction, Queensland's increased defensive intensity forced Tupou into an error, with Munster poking the ball away, picking up cleanly and scampering away from Cook to the corner.

Where Cook and Cleary were so dominant in the first half for the Blues, in the second, Cherry-Evans was supreme, ghosting towards the line and releasing runners with perfectly timed passes as the Maroons turned the screw.

The Blues finally recaptured their first-half form in the final 10 minutes, with Addo-Carr causing havoc with a lovely chip and chase down the right wing.

However, he knocked the ball forward attempting to collect, an action confirmed by the bunker after Addo-Carr unwisely challenged the decision.

Addo-Carr still crossed in the corner as the Blues again exploited some shaky defence on the Maroons' left edge to set up a nervous finale.

The Blues targeted that side again but could not breach the Maroons' line, even with Kaufusi's send off