Game III
| 16 July 2003 | Queensland | 36–6 | New South Wales | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane Attendance: 52,130 Referee/s: Bill Harrigan Man of the Match: Matt Sing |
| Matt Sing (12 - 3t) Brent Tate (8 - 2t) Josh Hannay (8 - 4g) Cameron Smith (4 - 1t) Michael Crocker (4 - 1t) |
(Report) | (4 - 1t) Timana Tahu (2 - 1g) Andrew Johns |
Game III, otherwise known as the "dead rubber", restored some much needed pride for the Maroons who dominated the Blues in every facet of the game. Winger Matt Sing was superb, scoring three tries in a man-of-the match performance.
Queensland started with a new-found zest and led 16-0 after just 17 minutes before strangling the Blues out of the contest. Johns was forced to accept the shield in front of an almost empty stadium after Queensland had completed a lap of honour. It was an anti-climactic end to what had been the gifted number seven's best ever series. Queensland's dead-rubber win equalled their biggest ever State of Origin victory, which was first equalled in 1989, and again in 2008.
Read more about this topic: 2003 State Of Origin Series
Famous quotes containing the words game and/or iii:
“There are no accidents, only nature throwing her weight around. Even the bomb merely releases energy that nature has put there. Nuclear war would be just a spark in the grandeur of space. Nor can radiation “alter” nature: she will absorb it all. After the bomb, nature will pick up the cards we have spilled, shuffle them, and begin her game again.”
—Camille Paglia (b. 1947)
“Napoleon wanted to turn Paris into Rome under the Caesars, only with louder music and more marble. And it was done. His architects gave him the Arc de Triomphe and the Madeleine. His nephew Napoleon III wanted to turn Paris into Rome with Versailles piled on top, and it was done. His architects gave him the Paris Opera, an addition to the Louvre, and miles of new boulevards.”
—Tom Wolfe (b. 1931)