Like all Origin matches, this one was littered with moments that defined the result on both ends.
A typically brave Queensland performance to spoil the Blues' party had everything from gritty and desperate defence.
While for NSW there were plenty of 'what could've been' moments in the game that eventually saw them fall short of the storied clean sweep.
Here are the big game moments that shaped the result on the Gold Coast.
8th minute - Murray's one-on-one strip leads to Latrell try
He's been enormous in defence all series, and Cameron Murray stood up again when it counted in Game III.
The 23-year-old pulled off some big hits once again in the opening 40 minutes, but it was his one-on-one strip that had a big impact.
Moments after Murray's steal, his club teammate for the Rabbitohs, Latrell Mitchell, crossed for the opening try of the match and put the Blues in front.
The one-percenters are what makes Origin players - and Cameron Murray is exactly that.
30th minute - To'o makes up for mistake to deny crucial Gagai try
Brian To'o denied what would've been a vital try before half-time for Queensland, seconds after committing an error that presented Dane Gagai the opportunity.
The Blues winger dropped a Cameron Munster bomb backwards, the ball bouncing up perfectly for Gagai, who was chasing the kick, and all the Queensland centre had to do was pick it up and dive over.
But in a remarkable defensive effort similar to the one that denied Kyle Feldt a try in Game II, To'o scrambled back to get a slight hand on the ball in a contest with Gagai, which forced an error.
Had Gagai scored it would've put the Maroons eight points clear before half-time and come as a big dent in the Blues' confidence.
48th minute - Wighton scores the go-ahead try
Going into the sheds down by two points at half-time, the Blues knew they really needed to score first in the second-half, and it showed with the way they attacked.
Building plenty of pressure and forcing multiple repeat sets, the turning point came in the 38th minute.
After a couple of sweeps out to the right, the Blues set up in the middle of the field and played out to the left with Isaah Yeo acting at first receiver, playing back to Mitch Moses who then showed to a decoy run from Tariq Sims before finding Jack Wighton out the back.
Wighton played it beautifully from there, showing out to his left before charging into the gap and diving over the score a crucial try to put the Blues up 12-8 with a conversion.
DAMNNNN! Wighton straight up going for it 😤#Origin pic.twitter.com/0fT9UsJJei
— NRL (@NRL) July 14, 2021
56th minute - Addo-Carr messes up kick, Hunt rummages his way over
Attempting to diffuse a Daly Cherry-Evans 40/20 attempt Josh Addo-Carr fumbled the ball on the Blues' 30 metre line that gifted the Maroons much-needed momentum.
Minutes later, after a few settling hit-ups to get within range, a crafty Ben Hunt dart from dummy-half on the right side of the uprights, when Payne Haas was left exposed on the edge of the play the ball, saw the Maroons No. 9 crash over to put them back in front.
One of many huge moments from the maligned Dragons star who did a remarkable job at hooker.
The Maroons have made a lot of mistakes this series, but waiting 116 minutes (which they lost 68-6) to introduce Ben Hunt to the series might be the biggest.
— Jason Oliver (@JasonNRL) July 14, 2021
pic.twitter.com/rzIo4n3YUr
72nd minute - Ponga knockdown to deny Tedesco
This could very much have been the match-winning play for New South Wales to steal it at the death.
Running through a gaping hole created by a quick Cameron Murray play-the-ball, Tom Trbojevic found himself in open space 40 metres out with just Kalyn Ponga to beat and James Tedesco supporting on the inside – a play that 9/10 ends in a Blues try.
All Trbojevic had to do was find Tedesco on the inside, who had enough speed to outlast a few trying Maroons chasers.
But Kalyn Ponga smothered the pass on the inside, denying a certain Blues try that would've given them a 24-20 lead against the run of play.
