Queensland star Kalyn Ponga has become the seventh player in State of Origin history to be sent off in a flashpoint moment that flipped the game on its head and paved the way for New South Wales to record a famous comeback victory.
The Maroons were in control with a 6-20 lead lead in the 57th minute of Wednesday night’s series opener when a brawl broke out after Ponga flattened Tolu Koula with a shoulder charge.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Kalyn Ponga sent off after shoulder charge on Tolu Koula
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Koula was stopped in his tracks less than 20 metres from the tryline after making a line-break down the left side and lay flat on his back following the hit as Blues players descended on Ponga to remonstrate.
When the players were broken up, referee Ashley Klein gave Ponga his marching orders.
That’s despite replays showing the contact was mostly head on head. Ponga’s shoulder only really made contact with Koula’s shoulder.
Andrew Johns and Cameron Smith agreed Ponga deserved to be sin-binned, but were aghast at the decision to send him off altogether.
“Really? Really? No way that’s a send-off!” Smith said.
“The Ponga decision — everyone knows I bleed blue, but that was outrageous,” NSW legend Johns said on Nine.
The decision gave the Blues the one-man advantage they needed to kick-start a pulsating comeback.
After Ponga’s send-off, the Blues scored three tries, including the match-winner from James Tedesco with just over a minute left on the clock, to complete the greatest comeback in State of Origin history.
Tedesco, in his comeback game after being dropped for last year’s series, made what Phil Gould called a “miraculous catch” — which he almost fumbled — and willed himself over the line to level the scores at 20-20.
With the clock ticking down close to zero, you could cut the tension in the stadium with a knife as Nathan Cleary had a conversion from point-blank range to win the game.
The superstar halfback made no mistake, but not before a prolonged routine which included two approaches to the ball, only adding to the drama.
The Blues, who 0-20 to start the game, blew the previous best comeback of 12 points away in a rain-soaked thriller.
Koula was taken off for a head injury assessment, which he failed, meaning he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
In Ponga’s absence, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was moved to fullback, while Kurt Capewell switched to centre.
The most recent Origin send-off was Joseph Suaalii in the series-opener of 2024.
Four of history’s seven send-offs have happened since 2023.
More to come …
