Tonight we take a look at State of Origin Game I, where an early send off may have ruined the contest, but there were still plenty of highlights and talking points.
Read on as we take a look back over some of the biggest hits and misses.
MISS
Future Wallaby will need to learn to lower his contact
Joseph Suaali'i is off to rugby union next year where he will find even less sympathy for the kind of hit that saw him sent from the field in the opening exchanges of Origin I against Queensland.
With the Maroons spreading the ball from within their own half, Suaali'i decided to rush up and in to pressure the flashy Reece Walsh. Walsh passed the ball just before Suaali'i arrived and slipped in the process. Suaali'i launched a full-on shot with his shoulder, which was clearly aimed at the body of Walsh, but which made full contact with the Maroons fullback's head.
The hit made a sickening crunch and Walsh assumed the horrible arms out unconscious posture on the turf, as his teammates rushed to his aid. Play continued until the next stoppage, at which point, with video replays reviewed, referee Ashley Klein sent Suaali'i off, leaving the Blues outnumbered and facing a battering, particularly down the side of the field where Suaali'i would have been defending.
The Nine commentators did the severity of the tackle no justice, with Queensland legend Cameron Smith suggesting that it might have been a send off at club level, but perhaps not at Origin level. Smith may have missed the news regarding CTE and the duty of care that the code has in protecting the heads of players as much as possible. The old days of half a dozen players stumbling around on smelling salts showing their Origin courage are long gone.
Suaali'i might be spared a lengthy suspension due to the mitigating circumstances involved, but it was still a fairly clear-cut send-off offence. The fact that Walsh was also removed from the game only emphasises the force involved and the need to enforce the ultimate deterrent.
HIT
The old Maroons prove they still have it
Daly Cherry-Evans set up the first try of the game, jumping out of dummy half after a sharp Jeremiah Nanai run on the edge of the ruck. Defender Stephen Crichton was caught out of position as Cherry-Evans saw the single marker and charged at the Blues line. As the defence converged he hooked a pass infield to the ever-supporting fellow veteran Ben Hunt who crashed over for the opening four pointer.
In the second half Hunt was over again to kill off any thought of a Blues fightback, before Cherry-Evans intercepted an Isaah Yeo pass inside his own 30 metres before streaking away downfield. With the defence in hot pursuit, his 36-year-old legs managed a last ditched kick infield. The ball was perfectly weighted allowing Xavier Coates to ground it before the dead-ball line.
It was a masterful display from Cherry-Evans with his kicking game controlling territory and keeping the short-handed Blues on the back foot. He deservedly went on to win the man of the match award
MISS
Please don't mess with the national anthem
They were obviously trying to mix things up a bit, to entertain, but whoever decided we needed a country-style version of the national anthem was way off the mark. The latest winner of Australian Idol, Dylan Wright, stood centre field with his guitar around his neck and added a real twang to the standard.
The national anthem is something we respectfully stand through, accepting it as a fair indication of the magnitude of the occasion. In the USA they do it all the time, almost challenging artists to top each other with their renditions of the 'Star-Spangled Banner'. Here in Australia, we just need the straight forward version thanks.
HIT
Leniu puts his hand up for future Origins
There were doubts expressed over whether Spencer Leniu deserved to be selected for the Blues after missing a large chunk of the beginning of the year through suspension. Those doubts were put to bed almost as soon as he was given a run.
With the Blues stretched thanks to Suaali'i's send off, coach Michael Maguire stepped up his interchange rate to help with the fatigue. Leniu came on and made an immediate impact. He made bullocking run after bullocking run and almost barged over for a try, only to be held up over the line by a desperate Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow who had moved into the fullback role vacated by Walsh.
Every time he touched the ball Leniu proved to be a handful. He will be one of the first forwards named for the rest of the series.
HIT
The Hammer steps up to replace Walsh
With Reece Walsh being helped from the field, his eyes glossed over following the Suaali'i hit, there was very little doubt that his night was over. There was also very little doubt what Maroons coach Billy Slater would do to replace him. Lurking in the centres for Queensland was Dolphins superstar fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. If you lose the best fullback in the state, it is very handy to have the second-best fullback in the state already on the field. What's more the Maroons had Broncos centre Selwyn Cobbo sitting on the bench ready to replace Tabuai-Fidow.
The Hammer set about doing the kind of things he does every week for the Dolphins. He saved a try by somehow holding up a rampaging Spencer Leniu on the line. He then backed up down the middle of the field like a good fullback does to score two first half tries. He then topped off the night by completing his hattrick, once again running support for a Tom Deardon break.