It was a wild opening stanza before the Gold Coast Titans' Moeaki Fotuaika entered the field during Origin 1 to help the Queensland Maroons win the game 38-10 over New South Wales.
Having sat on the sideline and watched his fullback, Reece Walsh, be knocked out and New South Wales Blues centre Joseph Sua'ali'i subsequently be dismissed, Fotuaika's Queensland side would play with a one man advantage from that point on.
The Titans enforcer entered the game in his usual no fuss way, getting about his work on and off the ball.
By the half time bell, the front rower had made 16 tackles and 42 run metres in his first 18 minutes on the field.
Fotuaika would see out a further 22 minutes of the second half, and, with his side spending less time in possession, it was the defensive side of the game that he had to call upon, finishing his 38 minutes with 29 tackles and 53 run metres to play his role in a Maroons victory.
The hard-working Fotuaika will no doubt be on coach Billy Slater's team sheet come game two in Melbourne in three weeks time.
Blues v Maroons – Game 1, 2024
Match Snapshot
A record-equaling effort from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow helped the Maroons draw first blood in the 2024 Origin series, as they overwhelmed a 12-man Blues side 38-10 to claim Game One in Sydney.
The contest was turned on its head just eight minutes in when New South Wales debutant Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i became the fastest player in Origin history to be sent off, after he made contact with the head of Reece Walsh with a hit which later saw the Maroons fullback ruled out due to a head knock.
- Historically after claiming Game One in Sydney the Maroons have gone on to win seven series (1988, 1995, 1998, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2022) and lose only one (1994).
- Since Origin became a three-game series in 1982, the state that has lost the first game has come back to win the series just 10 times (out of 41).
- Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i was sent off in the eighth minute for making direct contact with the head of Reece Walsh, resulting in the Maroons fullback being ruled out for the remainder of the game with a head knock.
- Queensland replacement player Felise Kaufusi was activated following Walsh being ruled out and ended up playing 23 minutes.
- Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow had a big night as the stand-in fullback, scoring a hat-trick, carrying for over 150 metres and saving a try at a crucial time in the first half with a last-ditch intervention as Spencer Leniu went over the line.
What's Next
The series now heads to Melbourne Cricket Ground for the second game on June 26, with the Maroons needing to claim their first win at the MCG since 1995 if they are to wrap the series up with a game to spare. In the five Origin games played at the venue so far the Blues have won four of them.
