Game I
New South Wales players Anthony Minichiello and Mark Gasnier were dropped following a drunken incident during the Blues' training camp when it was made public that Gasnier had left a lewd message on a female acquaintance's phone.
| 26 May | New South Wales | 9–8 | Queensland | Telstra Stadium, Sydney Attendance: 68,344 Referee/s: Sean Hampstead Man of the Match: Shaun Timmins |
| Shaun Timmins (5 - 1t, 1fg) Craig Fitzgibbon (4 - 1t) |
(Report) | (4 - 1t) Brent Tate (4 - 1t) Scott Prince |
Game one featured the first ever Golden point decision in State of Origin football in the very first game where the ruling became available. With scores locked at 8-all and three minutes of extra time played, St George Illawarra Dragons player Shaun Timmins, who had returned to top-class and representative football against unlikely odds after two career-threatening knee injuries and operations, stepped up and kicked a 37-metre left-foot field goal to steal victory for New South Wales. Blues halfback Craig Gower had already missed three earlier field goal attempts, was struggling with a knee injury and was closely marked by Queensland at every kick opportunity so it was left to Timmins to create his own moment of Origin folklore.
Read more about this topic: 2004 State Of Origin Series
Famous quotes related to game i:
“Life is a game in which the rules are constantly changing; nothing spoils a game more than those who take it seriously. Adultery? Phooey! You should never subjugate yourself to another nor seek the subjugation of someone else to yourself. If you follow that Crispian principle you will be able to say ‘Phooey,’ too, instead of reaching for your gun when you fancy yourself betrayed.”
—Quentin Crisp (b. 1908)