Two late tries have given New South Wales a hard-fought 14-4 victory in the deciding game of the 2024 State of Origin series in Brisbane.

The victory is just the Blues' second series-deciding Game III win in Queensland and first since 2005.

It hands Michael Maguire a series win in his first campaign as Blues coach.

In a ferocious contest in front of 52,457 people at Lang Park, the Maroons led 4-2 as late as the 61st minute, before the Blues broke the game open with two tries in three minutes.

Bradman Best finished off a Jarome Luai line-break to score in the corner, then Mitch Moses split the Maroons defence as the Blues wrested the shield from the Maroons for the first time since 2021.

The tension before kick-off was palpable, both in the stands and in the bars around Lang Park, as the enormity of what this decider meant to both teams hit home.

The Maroons were looking for a third straight State of Origin series, with the Blues needing to overcome an inability to win a decider at Lang Park that stretched back 19 years.

In an early harbinger of the intensity this contest would be played at, Blues enforcer Angus Crichton was forced off with an HIA after collecting Reece Walsh's elbow in a tackle attempt.

He soon returned, flying into contact and sending defenders scattering with almost every carry in a performance that earned him the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series.

Queensland had been bullied in Game II in Melbourne, and they were intent not to let that happen in front of their raucous home support in Brisbane.

But with the stakes so high, and with Daly Cherry-Evans, Crichton and Liam Martin sniping at each other after every tackle, the game was always on the knife edge of exploding.

And the touch-paper was lit on the half-hour mark with an all-in brawl.

Bradman Best lost the ball after breaking through the Queensland line, with Cherry-Evans shoving Jarome Luai off the ball.

That was the signal for players to come from all angles, with even the New South Wales bench rushing down the line to join a rolling scrum that drifted right in front of the Maroons' reserves.

Cameron Murray, who was on the bench at the time, was sin binned for the Blues — Barnett the unfortunate on-field player to have to make way — as was the Maroons' Jeremiah Nanai.

From the Blues penalty, Walsh was perhaps fortunate to stay on the field after making contact with Stephen Crichton's head with his boot as the Blues centre dived for the line.