Nathan Cleary led NSW to an unexpected win in Origin after a slow start, igniting the game's dramatic turnaround.
For 70 minutes, he was largely anonymous. Then Nathan Cleary exploded. Grabbed State of Origin by the scruff of the neck and led NSW to a win that no-one had seen coming.
Few players have come into the Origin arena under as much pressure as the NSW No. 7 and for the vast majority of the game at Accor Stadium, he was nowhere to be seen, outside of putting through the deft kick to set up the Blues' first try for Hudson Young.
He wasn't alone. The Blues' first half was an abomination. They were pathetic. They had been dominated by Queensland and looked set to be headed to Melbourne for game two on the cusp of another defeat.
Then Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga was sent off and the opening game of the Origin series took a dramatic and unexpected turn.
A turn that gave Cleary the chance to rewrite history and potentially save Laurie Daley's coaching job. Cleary put on a show and the undermanned Maroons - as courageous as they were - couldn't go with him.
