It started with a dodgy pass from Blake Ferguson.

The type the lumbering larrikin throws at least once every 80 minutes or so, reason alone for a defibrillator in every coach's box in the country.

James Tedesco ended it 50 metres downfield, reviving NSW when they threatened one of their infamous Origin III flatlines.

"That's why he's the vice-captain," Ferguson says simply.

"He leads with his actions."

Fifty minutes later, Tedesco ended up with man of the match honours, the Wally Lewis medal and back-to-back Blues' series wins in NSW's 26-20 triumph.

With Billy Slater confined to the commentary box after last year's controversial player of the series honours, Tedesco claimed the gong plenty figured was his last year.

Already he has assumed Slater's place as the pre-eminent fullback in the game, if not its pre-eminent individual, full stop.

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"Well, you gotta say at the moment, if you want to start a debate ..." Fittler mused afterwards, with an ominous shot across the bow to follow.

"He's got a long way to go, he's young. He had a couple of big injuries early in his career.

"I could never see the player he is today at all. I just never saw it. [He's] proved a lot wrong."

With Queensland up 8-2 and opposite number Cameron Munster punching holes in NSW's defence for fun, Ferguson started it.