"Let's get back and start again. We have done nothing yet".

With those words after Michael Jennings' third minute try, NSW hooker Robbie Farah signalled the determination of the Blues to win at the MCG and defend the State of Origin trophy they finally regained last season after eight years.

For the remaining 77 minutes NSW showed how much they believed they could achieve it.

While there was controversy over the disallowed try to Queensland superstar Greg Inglis in the 68th minute, NSW won because they learned from their mistakes in Origin I and rectified them.

The Blues also had a try disallowed to five-eighth Mitchell Pearce for an alleged forward pass by winger Brett Morris.

By the end, it was Queensland playmaker Johnathan Thurson who was lacking composure as he kicked out on the full as the Maroons were running out of chances in the dying exchanges.

In contrast, besieged Blues halfback Trent Hodkinson and Pearce were doing what they had failed to do in Origin I by taking control of the match as the "NSW" chant reverberated among the record 91.513 Origin crowd at the MCG.

But there were many heroes for NSW – not the least being captain Paul Gallen, who defied the pain of a rib cartilage injury suffered in the 18th minute to play almost the entire match.

Hodkinson threw the pass for the Josh Dugan try that sealed the 26-18 win and was more involved than he had been in the series opener, the Blues showed more adventure in attack and wingers Brett Morris and Will Hopoate did more dummy half running to help the team get out of their end.

And when Queensland hit the lead in the second half and tried to put a stranglehold on the game with their patient and controlled play, as they did at ANZ Stadium, the NSW players found another gear to wrest control back.

Hodkinson showed his intent from the outset by running the ball three times in the opening nine minutes, which was as many times as he did in the first half of Origin I.

By half-time Hodkinson had ran the ball five times – more than he did in the entire match at ANZ Stadium – for 29 metres, and each run was made with purpose as he took on the line but was only tackled with possession once.

He ran the ball twice more in the second half and also made two kicks that totalled 57 metres, as well as delivering a number of pin point precision passes to the left edge pairing of Jennings and Morris or right to Pearce.

The Blues forwards refused to take a backward step and lived up to their pre-match promise to push the boundaries, while Jennings was a constant threat.

After Jennings picked up a loose pass from Maroons halfback Daly Cherry-Evans and running 80 metres to score in the third minute, Farah gathered the players in a huddle and told them: "Let's get back and start again We haven't made a f---ing tackle yet. We have done nothing yet".

Trainer Nathan Brown delivered the same message from coach Laurie Daley.