Three players were forced off the field in a matter of minutes in a brutal start to the State of Origin decider that was labelled “a throwback to the 80s”.
Queensland duo Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins came off Suncorp Stadium on a stretcher and in the hands of the trainers respectively, while New South Wales lost Cameron Murray all inside the opening three minutes of the contest.
First to go was Murray, whose night ended just a minute into the contest when he attempted to tackle a rampaging Corey Oates and clashed heads with the Maroons winger.
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After stumbling to his feet, Murray was eventually ordered off and was ruled out minutes later.
However, just seconds later came a sickening hit that caused some of the toughest players in Origin history to shiver in the commentary box.
Cobbo was one of five Maroons who set upon Matt Burton alongside Collins, Josh Papalii, Pat Carrigan and Ben Hunt, and went head-first into Carrigan’s hip, leaving him flattened on the turf for several minutes.
The 20-year-old was eventually taken off the ground on a medicab and was ruled out for the remainder of the match minutes later with a category one head knock.
He was joined minutes later by Collins, who was knocked out by teammate Tom Gilbert as the pair attempted to tackle Daniel Tupou.
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“Wow. I think it was technique first but the way both of these sides have started, Joey, it’s all-out warfare,” said former Maroons skipper Cameron Smith on Nine’s coverage.
“It shows everyone watching at home and in the stands, what this means to both football teams.
“You’d have to go back quite some time to match this physicality, this intensity. We’re seeing game one and how fast it was, but I can’t say we’ve seen the hits like we have tonight. It’s unbelievable.”
Blues legend Andrew Johns also said he’d not seen a start to an Origin contest as brutal as this one in all his time watching the game.
“Not for a long time, not like this,” Johns said on Nine’s coverage.
“With tackling techniques that have changed over the years, they don’t like to drive in so much with their shoulders, it is all about control. This is a throw back to the ’80s. That’s three off.”
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The brutality would not end there, with Blues centre Burton also left dazed minutes later after copping a swinging right arm to the head from Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, with the Maroons star placed on report for the incident.
However, the Blues were able to breathe a sigh of relief with the doctors ruling Burton OK to continue despite the head-knock.