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The Australian rugby league authorities surprisingly took a relatively hard-line stance on the standard State of Origin violence in game one. There was even a one-game suspension for New South Wales captain Paul Gallen and a public warning that any 'biff' in game two would result in trip to the sin-bin for ten minutes. These warnings were not quite heeded by the Blues Trent Merrin.
Queensland won 26-6 to force a series decider in Sydney in three weeks time. Hopefully by that stage the National Rugby League will have come to their senses and re-introduced the laissez-faire refereeing approach that has served Origin so 'well' over the years.
