It is never a given that tales come with fairies attached. But last night's deciding State of Origin match at ANZ Stadium was happy ever after for Queensland when they triumphed over NSW 16-10, to seal their third series in a row.

Unfortunately it was not the storybook finish for the NSW captain, Danny Buderus, in his final Origin game, nor the spectacular longed-for debut for the baby Cockroach Mitchell Pearce, 19.

Still the fairy godmother had waved her wand, and both the Canetoads and the Cockroaches became fleet of foot in a tough contest. The scoreline stayed close throughout the game - and the wish for a return to a classic tight Origin clash was granted.

This was a game of no niceties, and it was played with tremendous feeling and high intensity. Queensland were furious before the game even started because they had not been officially notified of the positional change involving the Blues fullback Kurt Gidley.

Just one minute into the match the two sides engaged in an all-in brawl, to the delight of the sell-out crowd, and the niggles continued to break out sporadically. The Queensland enforcer Nate Myles should have been sent off for a nasty spear tackle on Ben Cross in the second half but before the ensuing fight was quelled Cross had managed to get some targeted uppercuts.

The Blues scored the first points with a penalty conversion. But the biggest problem for the Maroons was the early loss of the playmaker Scott Prince with a feared broken arm, then lost Michael Crocker to a heavy concussion.

They had some consolation out wide with the athletic Queensland winger Israel Folau. He became a high-flying Superman, scoring twice from high bombs.

But it was Billy Slater's try breaking the second-half deadlock that handed the Maroons the series 2-1 and gave them their historic "Threepeat".