Queensland captain Cameron Smith believes the experience of the key Maroons players in tight situations enabled them to snatch an 11-10 win over NSW in Wednesday night's Origin series opener.

Smith, who won the man-of-the-match award for the fifth time in his Origin career, attributed the win to the cool head of halfback Cooper Cronk, whose 74th minute field goal proved the difference. In contrast, the decision making by the Blues in the dying moments of the game proved costly.

"Experience certainly helps in tight matches as it was tonight," Smith said. "It was very controlled and I thought we set ourselves nicely for that field goal. Cooper has kicked one before in Origin so we thought we needed to go back to the man again and he slotted it for us."

Five-eighth Johnathan Thurston had missed a long-range penalty goal attempt minutes before Cronk sealed the deal. Smith said the Maroons did not panic after trailing at halftime.

"It was an extremely tough game tonight, that is what State of Origin is about," Smith said. "I thought we played quite well in the first half but came up with some crucial errors in our own red zone and a couple of penalties against us handed the Blues some points.

"They were good enough to get across our line but the second half was a lot more controlled. We were a lot more patient and came away with the victory."

Smith, who laid on the first try of the match for Cronk in the 13th minute after taking advantage of a quick play the ball, also finished with a game high 56 tackles for the Maroons in his 34th Origin appearance.

If he remains fit for the entire series, the Australian captain will equal the record of Darren Lockyer  as the most capped player in Origin history.

However, Smith would like nothing better than to secure the series and avenge last year's defeat by winning the second match in his home town of Melbourne.

"It is nice to be able to go to the MCG now one game up but there is a lot of hard work to go," Smith said. "It is a series of three games, not two, and we need to go back to the drawing board when we get into camp again in a couple of weeks."