State of Origin game two: Queensland beat New South Wales 44-24 as Selwyn Cobo hits hat-trick

State of Origin – Game Two

New South Wales (12) 24

Try: Stags, Nwakanitawase 2, Barnett Aim: Clear 4

Queensland (8) 44

Try: Loiero, Cobbo 3, Fifita, Tabuai-Fidow, Collins Aim: Walker 8

Selwyn Cobo scored a second-half hat-trick as Queensland staged a thrilling comeback against New South Wales to level the State of Origin series in Melbourne.

Dolphins winger Kobo enjoyed the night of his life as the Maroons scored 36 points after the interval – and put the pain of their last loss in Sydney two weeks ago behind them.

Sam Walker, making only his second Origin appearance, produced an outstanding kicking display – finishing with a 100% record as he added an early penalty to all seven of Queensland’s tries.

It was the perfect response for the Maroons who let a 20-6 lead slip and lost 22-20 in Sydney two weeks ago after full-back Kalin Ponga’s red card.

And that sets up a series decider in Brisbane on July 8.

“It was really special to come back from losing a game like that,” Sydney Roosters half-back Walker told Sky Sports. “I can’t wait to get out there in Brisbane.”

They fought back after a first-half thrashing that saw them fall 12-2 behind and lost captain Cameron Munster for some time as he was assessed for a head injury – although he was cleared to return and was a key figure in the second-half revival.

New South Wales, who scored four tries to top the first quarter of the match, scored two dual-code internationals for Australia in Mark Nawakanitawasse on his Origin debut, but they were well beaten when Mitchell Burnett stepped up for a consolation score.

The Blues responded well to an early Walker penalty, allowing Nawakanitwas to spill straight from Thomas Feller’s kick-off, drawing three tacklers towards him and allowing the Kotoni Stags to explode.

Nawakanitawase extended the Blues’ advantage on 21 minutes, diving in the corner after collecting a pass out from Nathan Cleary, who re-collected after Munster failed to control his initial grubber kick.

But Queensland responded with a brilliant passing move – Hamiso Tabuai-Fido breaking, Harry Grant drawing defenders and Munster producing a brilliant one-handed offload, before Walker and Max Plath sent on Trent Lowero.

Loero was on the receiving end of a brutal high tackle from NSW forward Victor Radley – the first England international to feature in State of Origin since the change in eligibility rules – who only conceded a penalty when he could have been sent off.

But as Munster clawed their way back into the game, Queensland lost steam after half-time. His perfectly judged kick set up Kobbo’s first try, converting the Maroons’ edge in front of Walker.

Kobo then eluded Nawakanitawase in the corner – Walker opened the door by playing a seemingly unseen first-time pass to Ponga – before Jojo Fifita collected another deft Munster kick on his leap to rise above Brian To’o and score.

Nwakanitawase beat three maroon opponents with a clever stop-and-shuffle maneuver to dive to the flag at his second attempt.

But Tabuai-Fidow scored his 13th try in 12 Origin appearances, set up by Kobo, to end any hopes of a Blues revival.

Stags were sin-binned – and lucky not to be sent off – for a high shot on Ponga in the build-up to that try.

And with NSW collapsing, Grant stepped up and sent Lindsey Collins clear between the posts to score, before Cobo produced some acrobatics in the corner to complete his hat-trick – the try given on video review as he managed to ground the ball.