IT’S not always the best team that wins State of Origin, it’s the team that plays the best.

Queensland again proved they have a mortgage on State of Origin deciders — especially if they are played at The Cauldron.

Denying the Maroons their 11th series victory in the past 12 years in front of a buzzing, ground-record 52,540 crowd of mostly maroon-eyed fans at Suncorp Stadium was never going to be a walk in the park for NSW.

Not when the place was heaving with enough raw emotion to power the entire state from that Johnathan Thurston tribute.

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But let’s backtrack a little to the same ground 42 days ago, when NSW outmuscled, outplayed and outscored Queensland 28-4.

It was a dominant display which had those south the Tweed salivating and trotting out words like “dynasty” and “pain” and “suffering”.

NSW had the series on toast at ANZ Stadium in Origin II when they cruised to a 16-6 first half lead, only to let the Maroons off the hook 18-16.

In a remarkable stat, Queensland went 99 minutes between games two and three without conceding a point, and even then Josh Dugan’s 48th minute try was not to be repeated.

That is why Queensland are once again State of Origin kings.

By their own admission, this is supposedly the best side NSW has put together in several years.

This was the Blues side that was supposedly, going to inflict a mountain of pain on an ageing Maroons mob, well past their use-by date and headed for hard times.

Really?

It didn’t look that way when Queensland unearthed a few more long-term Origin stars.

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Blues fans went the early crow after what was a great win in Origin I.

But while NSW fans wouldn’t admit it, that win had as much to do with Queensland selectors getting it wrong — with their blind loyalty to a few players and the bizarre decision not to play Billy Slater — than NSW being superior on the night.

In reality, it was Queensland who got better and better with each game and NSW who got progressively worse.

How else do you explain a 40-point turnaround in 42 days?

This loss will play on the minds of a number of NSW players for years to come. It will either fuel a fire or create demons. Only time will tell.

But it proved once again Queensland that play the “big” games better.

But why?

The Maroons did not have their champion playmaker JT or Darius Boyd — the next most durable man in Origin’s history, having played 28 straight games since his debut.

And yet a kid from Rockhampton, Cameron Munster, pulled on the maroon No. 6 jumper and played like he was born to wear it, which he well might do for years to come.

Munster is a ball-running five-eighth. He finished his memorable Origin debut with 136 metres, 18 tackles, one line break and two try assists — figures that would sit well with the likes of Lewis, Lockyer and Thurston.

There was a calmness and composure about Queensland on their night of nights.

It’s been that way since Cameron Smith took the captaincy reins from Darren Lockyer five years ago.

Smith didn’t need the southern media to point out that his numbers in games one and two had been down on his Origin average.

He knew. They simply poked the bear a little more.

Cameron Smith: Forever the champion. Source: Getty Images

Queensland again produced that indefinable something, that intangible something they have a copyright on that NSW just can’t produce.

It’s like the Colonel’s secret recipe.

This was the 11th series decider staged at Suncorp Stadium, or Lang Park as it was formerly known. Queensland have won nine of them.

So, before NSW go talking pain and suffering and dynasties again, they should wait till they win at least two series in a row.

But given the way Queensland play Origin, they won’t need to have the best players to keep winning, because Origin is about pride, passion and mateship and never giving up.

It’s bred into them, then reinforced with a ‘no dickhead’ policy.

Valentine Holmes and Cameron Munster were both booted from Origin last year because they foolishly tested the resolve of Queensland coach Kevin Walters.

Did they whinge and sulk?

No, they did their time and have now both shown what it means to them to wear the maroon.

NSW have to do more than just change players, they have to change their attitudes and stop thinking every time they win a game “they are back”.

Queensland used 26 players in this series, their most ever, while NSW used the same side for all three games.

That should have translated into a NSW series win.

Instead it has NSW fans even more frustrated with ominous question marks over the futures of Mitchell Pearce, Jarryd Hayne, Brett Morris and a few more.

As I wrote after Queensland’s heavy loss in game one — I have learned over many years of covering sport that you simply never write off a champion.

And this Queensland side, with 11 series wins in the past 12 years is a champion side.

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