18:28

Ok, things didn't go that well last night; but the Blues played better than the end result would suggest. By half time, things were looking grim; not least due to a couple of "unfortunate" calls by the refs, and too many scenes like this:
Billy Slater scores for the Maroons

But the NSW boys made a formidable comeback, giving the Maroons quite a few reasons to be worried:
Craig Wing scores for the underdogs

That was, of course, before the final seconds, when Darius Boyd, not content with a 6 point lead, touched down for a final try just as the bell went off and the game was well and truly over.
Darius Boyd wins the race against the clock

So now we've fallen behind early; that should leave us plenty of time to catch up. And the combination of lessons learned, confidence gained from a promising second half, and the advantage of playing on home turf should leave the Blues with more than just half a chance for round 2.


Queensland celebrate their deserved, albeit short-lived, victory

Some not too happy Blues after a devastating, but without any doubt temporary, defeat.

All images shamelessly swiped from here