There were plenty of positives from a New South Wales perspective following their dominant Origin Game 2 win over Queensland on Sunday night.
Nathan Clearly was deservedly named man of the match, but there were plenty of other Blues players who stamped their authority on the game.
Notably, debutant Matt Burton stood tall despite his inexperience at Origin level.
Blues coach Brad Fittler was thrilled for the 22-year-old who notched one try, one try assist and 105 run metres.
"It was great to see his family here," Fittler said.
"They came over the other night [from Dubbo] to help with the jersey presentation. You can just see that they love footy.
"To watch him [debut in Origin] and perform and score a try was great.
"But not only that, he did some hard work back there and worked really hard for his teammates.
"They're great rewards - being part of a team when someone makes their debut.
"And I'm sure it'll be a memorable one for him."
Welcome to Origin, Matt Burton. 💙👏
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Almost the polar opposite of Burton, veteran forward Jake Trbojevic returned to the Blues side after missing out on selection in Game 1.
He too was instrumental in the win, guiding New South Wales with his physicality and experience.
Captain James Tedesco was full of praise for the 28-year-old following the match.
"[Trbojevic] spoke a bit at halftime and everyone listened," Tedesco said.
"He's very passionate and he's just a competitor - he wants to win.
"I love playing with Jake. On and off the field he is just an awesome bloke and an awesome player.
"And he brought a lot of energy and excitement to this game, too."
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Despite the emphatic victory in Perth, Fittler was keen to emphasise that the series is still in the balance.
The New South Wales team will now head to Brisbane for Game 3, with the decider scheduled for July 13.
"It's one-all," the Blues coach said.
"So as good as that was it's one-all. Simple as that.
"At the end of it, we're playing at Suncorp [Stadium] and we've only won once there in four years.
"That's it. Give ourselves a chance."
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