Queensland 6-50 New South Wales: Trbojevic stars as Blues run riot in Townsville

By Sports Desk June 09, 2021

New South Wales Blues made a statement of intent in the first State of Origin match, thrashing Queensland Maroons 50-6 in Townsville.

The first match of the 2021 Origin series had been scheduled to be played on neutral ground in Melbourne, but lockdown measures in the state of Victoria resulted in a switch to Queensland.

Yet the Maroons' home advantage counted for little as Tom Trbojevic's hat-trick of tries inspired New South Wales to lay down a marker in the series.

Trbojevic, who scored a hat-trick in the 2019 State of Origin, was in sensational form once more, the 24-year-old Manly Sea Eagles star putting on a show as the Blues reached a half-century of points in an Origin game for just a second time.

Having lost prop Christian Welch to a failed head injury assessment after 13 minutes, the Maroons swiftly fell behind when Trbojevic ran in the game's first try, displaying all his speed and deft footwork.

Debutant winger Brian To'o helped himself to two tries in the space of five minutes, and although Kurt Capewell reduced the deficit to 20-6, there was no coming back for the hosts.

Trbojevic turned provider with a sublime grubber into Latrell Mitchell, who returned the favour for New South Wales' next try.

Xavier Coates' error enabled Mitchell grab a second, before Daniel Saifiti crossed and James Tedesco set up Trbojevic to fittingly have the final say in the Blues' biggest Origin victory to date.

Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium hosts the next match on June 27.

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