In the end, eight years came down to eight minutes.

When NSW halfback Trent Hodkinson sliced through Queensland’s goalline defence and subsequently kicked the go-ahead conversion, eight minutes remained for NSW to restore State of Origin dominance.

So many times, so many times, with a Blues victory looking likely, the Maroons had pulled off the marvellous, managed the miraculous.

But this time, it wasn’t to be.

Because this time, it was NSW’s turn.

For 72 minutes in front of a frenzied 83,421 fans at ANZ Stadium, the Blues hadn’t managed a solitary point and had fumbled and bumbled every chance they had had in the Maroons’ red zone.

But they had also showed grit and fight and, when it really counted, they dug deepest to finally end Queensland’s eight seasons of supremacy.

Hodkinson did to Queensland, what they had done so many times to NSW, jinking through the line, beating the outstretched arm of a desperate Ben Te’o to finally end one of the most painful of rugby league droughts.

Hodkinson kicked the conversion and, with eight minutes to go, NSW had to hold their nerve, they had to find reserves of strength – they couldn’t, wouldn’t let Queensland pull off another great escape.

With 10 seconds left, Queensland had one last shot, one last gasp. They toed ahead and Jarryd Hayne ran as far as he could, for as long as he could like he never will again, backwards into the mountain of Blues support behind him.

Queensland like to say they have a mortgage on Origin, but replays of this 6-4 win – to put NSW top of the heap again after eight long years – will forever be replayed as evidence against that.