Winning players answer to NSW woes

BRAD WALTER THE positions of the four NSW selectors - Bob Fulton, Bob McCarthy, Geoff Gerard and Laurie Daley - are under review along with everyone else involved in the Blues' failed Origin campaign and they won't learn their fate until the off-season.

Come in No.6: next NSW pivot has to stand up now, says Fittler

GLENN JACKSON NSW's next long-term five-eighth must ''stand up now'', according to the Blues' best ever player in the position, and a potential coaching candidate, Brad Fittler.

Never surrender: psyche behind domination of the men in maroon

GREG PRICHARD How did Queensland hold NSW off for as long as they did in the second half of State of Origin III? And where, after they had worn themselves out defending their line, did they find the energy to come back and win the game after the Blues had hit the front?

Sorry Wally, Lockyer will will wear six in this outfit

GREG PRICHARD It's a tough ask selecting a side from the Maroons' mighty 1989 and 2010 teams, writes Greg Prichard.

Origin anthem mends some hearts and breaks others

DANIEL LEWIS AND PADDY WOOD THE State of Origin series might have been stained by the racist language of Andrew Johns, but the national anthem performance at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night appeared to be rugby league making a point.

Origin

Brain explosion will leave Ennis Blue

Queensland players say NSW hooker Michael Ennis will live to regret the brain-explosion which saw him throw punches at Nate Myles and gift the Maroons with a chance to clinch a 3-0 series victory.

Slater crowned king of kings

BEN HORNE In a team full of champions, Billy Slater's two superhuman efforts when the match was on the line in game three, elevated him above the rest and secured him the prestigious honour of man of the State of Origin series.

Comments

Meninga hails Maroons mateship

DAVID BENIUK Queensland coach Mal Meninga hailed his side's mateship in the State of Origin trenches as he prepared to celebrate his 50th birthday with the first clean sweep of his historic five-year reign.

Comments

Blues show potential but this Queensland side is just too good

BRAD WALTER THE search for the next NSW coach and captain begins today after the Blues failed to stop Queensland's all-conquering side from completing the first series clean sweep in a decade.

Greatness prevails over sheer ability as the mightiest of defenders shut out creative and dynamic attackers

GREG PRICHARD This Queensland team is the greatest we've ever seen in State of Origin, no doubt.

The key moments of Origin III

PAUL ZALUNARDO The pivotal points in Origin III as Queensland wrap up the series.

Player ratings for the Queensland team

Ratings for the 17 players in the Queensland team.

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Player ratings for the NSW team

Ratings for the 17 players in the NSW team.

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Maroons ruthless but Blues find heartbeat

PHIL GOULD State of Origin III was a tremendous contest. The Queensland team proved its champion qualities. The NSW side restored credibility with its courageous display.

Ennis stands his ground but ref's call helps provide Queensland win

JAMIE PANDARAM AND GLENN JACKSON MICHAEL ENNIS has defended himself over the match-turning penalty in last night's Origin clean sweep by Queensland, insisting he was standing his ground by punching Maroons prop David Shillington.

We'll be back, pledge jubilant Lockyer and Civoniceva

CHRIS BARRETT AND GREG PRICHARD VICTORIOUS Queensland captain Darren Lockyer and evergreen prop Petero Civoniceva have made a pact to play on for the Maroons in next year's State of Origin series after wrapping up the first clean sweep of their careers last night.

Brad Walter:

Whitewash, but a Blueprint for future

BRAD WALTER THE search for the next NSW coach and captain will step up a gear today, but a new era for the Blues may have already begun after a performance last night that was widely hailed as the best in years.

Blues aim up but it's still not enough to stop Mal's men

GLENN JACKSON Finally a contest. The Maroons achieved their clean sweep, but they were made to battle - and in light of recent years that can still be a moral victory.

Well, there's always next year

DANIEL LEWIS YOU know things are bad when even the beer brand that supports "anyone playing Queensland" creates a full-page newspaper advertisement that takes the proverbial out of the hapless NSW Origin side.

Origin

Perfect maroons seal sweep

SEAN BAUMGART In what may be his last State of Origin game, Darren Lockyer became the first captain in 15 years to lead Queensland to a clean sweep when the Maroons beat New South Wales 23-18 at ANZ Stadium tonight.

Comments

Origin

No cape but Folau is a super hero

WAYNE HEMING He is not faster than a speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound but Israel Folau is definitely a try-scoring super hero to Queensland fans and punters expecting him leave Origin with a bang at ANZ Stadium.

'Sorry, I'm at Origin': Tallis misses court date

AMELIA BENTLEY State of Origin commitments have prevented rugby league legend Gordon Tallis from attending court to face a charge of illegally chopping down trees.

Chris Barrett:

History shows inexperience can be overcome

CHRIS BARRETT SIX years ago, Phil Gould's ''Baby Blues'' - boasting only 62 State of Origin appearances between them - belied their inexperience to beat Queensland 9-8 in Game I with a 37-metre Shaun Timmins field goal at the then Telstra Stadium. They went on to win the series 2-1.

Dead rubber just prolonging pain for lifeless Blues

RICHARD HINDS In the Davis Cup, where the term dead rubber is most commonly used, they reduce the length of the meaningless matches to best-of-three sets and throw in the doubles specialists or the rookies.

Early work for Queensland's physio

CHRIS BARRETT, GREG GROWDEN, AGENCIES The Inside Back: Queensland captain Darren Lockyer prompted brief concern in Maroons camp when he wandered gingerly off the training field last week, but the biggest Origin scare of the lead-in to Origin III has gone unreported.

League

Players warned to avoid caffeine supplements, says Blues medico

CHRIS BARRETT NSW State of Origin players were ''actively discouraged'' from taking caffeine supplements before interstate games, the head of the Blues' medical staff said last night.

League

Barrett figures Blues can win if they limit damage

GREG PRICHARD NSW captain Trent Barrett has set the Blues the enormous challenge of defending no more than 20 points to beat the all-conquering Queenslanders in State of Origin III tonight.

All change as review seeks to blow whistle on Maroons' dominance

BRAD WALTER THE most detailed review of NSW's Origin failures - and a blueprint of how the Blues can end Queensland's five-year domination - will begin almost immediately after full-time in tonight's match at ANZ Stadium.

Code-breaker Folau focused entirely on league … for now

BRAD WALTER AS THE Queensland players arrived at Sydney Airport before tonight's Origin series finale, the television cameras focused heavily on AFL recruit Israel Folau.