Queensland coach Mal Meninga says his side beat NSW at their own game as he slammed critics of his ageing roster.

The Blues' plan to play a power game was obvious after they picked a big interchange bench with four players above 100 kilograms. Queensland's kicking game proved dominant and forced the big NSW team to return the ball from their own end.

Meninga said it was a matter of his squad overpowering the Blues.

"We beat them at their own game," Meninga said. "I was very pleased with the effort. Sensational. The field goal at the end was the players managing the game in the appropriate way. Extremely pleased with the effort. NSW completed over 90 per cent, we completed in the high 80s. Our kicking game was exceptional. All the little things you need at Origin level were performed extremely well."

Much of the pre-game talk surrounding the Maroons was their lack of youth. A host of players – including Cameron Smith, Corey Parker, Billy Slater, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk – are on the other side of 30.

Meninga said those who criticised the make-up of his team "were wrong". The Queensland coach also backed the performance of centre Greg Inglis who spent three days in hospital with tonsillitis.

"GI is being self critical of some of the things he did ," Meninga said.  "He was in hospital for three days but you're not going to talk Greg out of putting a Maroons jersey on. He didn't let the team down."

Skipper Smith watched on as Storm teammate Cronk kicked the match-winning field goal. Smith was surprised when the Blues opted against going for a one-pointer late in the game, with their decision to allow Michael Jennings to grubber the ball, which went dead, proving costly.

"As soon as that ball went dead, myself, Cooper and JT [Thurston] said we had an opportunity to take the one point.

"Our team did a very good job to get us in that position. [Cronk] has slotted a few over in the last few years. He struck that one nicely. He struck it when it counted.

"I was thinking they were going to take a shot."

NSW prop Trent Merrin was the only player charged by the match review committee. He won't miss a game with an early guilty plea for a grade one dangerous throw.