New South Wales has sent this year's State of Origin series to a decider, recording a resounding 44-12 victory over Queensland at Perth Stadium.
The Blues led by just two points at half-time, but cut loose after the break, running in five unanswered tries in the second period.
Nathan Cleary scored two tries and 24 points for New South Wales as he relegated his subdued Game I performance to the history books and vindicated coach Brad Fittler's decision to make wholesale changes to his squad after the series-opening defeat.
"There were only a few simple things we needed to change," Cleary told Channel Nine post-match.
"I'm very lucky and blessed to wear this jersey and now we have one more to go."
The Blues enjoyed 61 per cent possession and ran for almost 800 metres more than the Maroons, who made 10 errors and had Felise Kaufusi sent to the sin bin before half-time for the team's repeat infringements at the ruck.
Despite only recording two play-the-balls inside the Blues' 20m area in the opening 40 minutes, the Maroons led 12-8 after half an hour thanks to tries to Kaufusi and Cameron Munster, either side of a try to Blues debutant Matt Burton.
But with Kaufusi sent to the bin just before the break, the Blues sent Brian To'o in to score and Cleary booted a sideline conversion to give them a 14-12 lead.
Although the Maroons did not concede again after the break while down to 12 men, it did not take long for the floodgates to open in the second half.
Daniel Tupou scored in the corner after Cleary floated a precise pass over the top, before Jarome Luai ghosted between two fatigued defenders to score untouched just before the hour mark.
Then Cleary cut loose, scoring twice in quick succession to put the Blues out of sight and cap a dominant performance.
Angus Crichton scored the Blues' seventh with five minutes remaining to help the Blues to a famous victory reminiscent of their 38-6 pounding of the Blues in Game II of the 2019 series, the last time State of Origin was played in Perth.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key events
Live updates
By Jon Healy
Let's call it there
Well, what a turnaround.
NSW were close in game one, but they were miles ahead in this one and it's completely changed the complexion of this series.
An Origin decider in Brisbane is a tantalising prospect and we're lucky enough to be getting one this year.
I'll see you back here on July 13. Until then.
By Jon Healy
Players on ABC Radio
Jake Trbojevic: "It was a really nice performance ... we built a bit of pressure and got a bit of joy there at the back end ... it was a game of patience."
Matt Burton: "It's a bit of a blur to be honest … to come out here tonight and wear this jersey, it means a lot … it was fast, it was everything I expected and more."
Nathan Cleary: "Obviously very happy, I'm just so stoked for Burto too, what a debut … We knew we had a job to do … just really happy with that … one to go now."
Brian To'o: "Just really grateful to play another game for the Blues, and I'm really honoured to put on the jersey with the other Panthers."
Cameron Munster: "They were just too good tonight, that's all I can say … I thought we were the better team in the first half … we had no legs left [at the end]."
Munster also said his shoulder was "very achey, very sore" and he will get a scan. He also said "we'll see how we go" when Nine's Darren Lockyer said "see you in Brisbane" for the decider.
By Jon Healy
The Blues have demolished Queensland to keep the series alive
If game one was a tight Origin classic, then tonight was the polar opposite. Just an absolute bloodbath, the likes of which we've actually seen a few times over the past few years, mostly from NSW.
The first half was a real wrestle, but it feels like a lifetime ago, because after that 15 minutes in the middle of the game, the Blues just barrelled over a gassed Maroons side.
Nathan Cleary was exceptional — scoring 24 points, kicking 8/8 and running for almost 100 metres — but it was the time he was afforded by his middle men, including starting hooker Api Koroisau, that largely allowed him to weave his magic.
Credit to them for bouncing back from game one and doing so so emphatically.
For Queensland, it's back to the drawing board. They have to focus on the first half for their positives, because the second was a complete write-off. The period down to 12 men, including the To'o try just before half-time, obviously played a massive part in the result, but the fact of the matter is NSW only scored the one try against 12 men. It was after that that the Maroons felt the pinch.
Those moments can happen in a game and it's about how you recover from them.
Speaking of recovery, the Maroons have to do so in time for the decider at Lang Park on July 13.
By Jon Healy
80th minute: The game will end with the ball in the Maroons' hands. Credit to them, they're still trying some things on the kick return, but this is a resounding win for NSW.
By Jon Healy
78th minute: Grant takes a scoot close to the line and he's stopped by the defence, but he's called back for a knock on as he tried to scoop up at dummy half.
By Jon Healy
77th minute: Taulagi takes another Cleary bomb, and the whistle is blown. I think Val Holmes thought he'd been pinged for another escort, but it was Tupou called for offside.
Oh! Damien Cook has been called for an ugly low cannonball tackle on Harry Grant. Looked worse than it worse, but still dangerous.
By Jon Healy
Angus Crichton is in for NSW
It looked too easy, and it's a close call as to whether or not he was behind Jake Trbojevic when he caught the ball.
But it's awarded. I think we're lucky this result is already beyond doubt, because that was a close one.
Came off the back of some ad-lib footy — offload after offload.
By Jon Healy
74th minute: Munster is defending at fullback by the looks of things, and he's fielded a bomb and thrown a very speculative offload in his in-goal. But Taulagi gets out of there after picking up the bouncing ball.
And Munster's lost the ball in a more traditional offload. NSW attacking again.
By Jon Healy
72nd minute: I'll say it again, but I think you know, DCE kicks from deep and under pressure. NSW start their set with a full head of steam.
By Jon Healy
71st minute: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is back on the field and immediately has the ball stolen off him by Junior Paulo.
Another gut punch for Queensland.
Kalyn Ponga is being taken off for an HIA. Josh Papali'i is replacing him. Munster to fullback and Hunt to the halves?
By Jon Healy
69th minute: The Maroons finally restrict NSW to 50 metres for a set, and Selwyn Cobbo gets a clean grab at a Burton bomb.
And a penalty to settle things down. The game is gone for the Maroons. It's about saving face now.
By Jon Healy
Nathan Cleary is in again!
Ben Hunt bites on a dummy, tackling Payne Haas, and Cleary scythes through almost untouched.
Over goes the conversion, and there's still 13 minutes left. We could be heading to record territory right now.
By Jon Healy
66th minute: Aside from already being exhausted, the Maroons have no fresh legs ready to come on.
And the attempted short kick-off has gone backwards! Penalty NSW. Stop the fight.
By Jon Healy
Cleary powers in and the Blues are rolling now
Again, the Maroons defence is as good as dead and Cleary took advantage. Hunt and Ponga slipped over, and Kaufusi couldn't clean up covering out the back.
Just a big left foot from the halfback, who makes it 32-12 with his right boot.
By Jon Healy
64th minute: Dane Gagai's been robbed by Matt Burton. Gagai has been silent in this game and that's shocking.
By Jon Healy
63rd minute: The Blues get over halfway on their third tackle after an attempted torpedo from Cherry-Evans.
Making metres look easy are NSW. But Nathan Cleary has dropped it in trying to play the ball. The Blues are challenging. It looked like a standard situation where the attacker tries to play the ball too quickly and knocks on, but after the strip call in the first half I'm not about to predict anything.
Challenge is unsuccessful. Knock on. Queensland gets the ball as Siosifa Talakai enters the fray to play on the left edge. More danger for an exhausted Queensland defence.
By Jon Healy
61st minute: Burton reefs a bomb to Kalyn Ponga. Conventional, but still tough. And the Maroons start another set trucking it off their tryline.
Valentine Holmes throws an incredibly risky offload. The Maroons need to take some chances, but that might be a bit too risky.
By Jon Healy
Jarome Luai just ambles in for NSW
Jeremiah Nanai, fresh on the field, just jogged up off the line and got completely frozen by a very light bit of footwork from Luai.
Gagai also didn't break from marker fast enough to help from the inside, and it was just too easy for Luai.
The Maroons look gassed. Genuinely cooked.
Cleary converts to make it 26-12.
