Everyone expected Johnathan Thurston to be involved in game-changing moment. But few would have thought it would come like this.

A kick from the sideline, to convert a try scored after the siren. To give North Queensland their first premiership ever. A future Immortal involved in a moment that will last forever. It hit the post.

Only Benny Elias, who hit the crossbar back in 1989 in a game of similar quality, knew how he feels.

If he didn't have an opportunity to immediately atone for it in the first grand final ever to be decided in golden point, it would have haunted him for the rest of his life.

But it was Brisbane halfback Ben Hunt, who knocked on in the 81st minute to give the Cowboys the ball back, who will instead forever replay a blunder that cost his side

Thurston rarely misses. Never misses twice. The four-time Dally M medallist iced the field goal that separated the teams in what is perhaps the most dramatic decider in history.

It was the most dramatic moment but not the only one. When Brisbane centre Jack Reed scored next to the posts and the decision was referred to the video referee, 82,758 at ANZ Stadium held their breath.

Thurston lost the ball in the lead-up and it was up to video referees Bernard Sutton and Luke Patten to determine whether it was stripped. It was a call that had the potential to decide the 2015 grand final.

Broncos Andrew McCullough and Matt Gillett were both involved in the tackle and the former had his hands on the ball. The four-time Dally M medallist didn't remonstrate with the officials as the Steeden slipped from his grasp. The referees at ground level thought it was a four-pointer before it went upstairs, which usually makes the rest of the process redundant. After witnessing a number of replays, the green button was pressed. TRY.

North Queensland's four-point advantage quickly become a 14-12 deficit.

It was that sort of a night for Thurston. The game's best player was well contained for much of the contest but can never be totally shut down. With his side within striking distance and in desperate need of a piece of magic, he delivered.

With the Broncos tiring on their try line just after the hour mark, 'JT' threw a magical faceball which hit Kane Linnett on the chest. The big centre needed only to catch it and he was over. He dropped the ball cold. On another occasion late in the game, he took the ball to the line and was smashed by Adam Blair in the biggest collision of the match.

But he was again THE man when a 16-16 deadlock needed to be broken.

The Cowboys threw everything at their Queensland counterparts but until the 80th minute couldn't crack the defence. Lachlan Coote came closest to piercing it. The fullback appeared destined to score but was stopped by a copybook tackle from Matt Gillett. After being pulled down just inches short, Coote couldn't resist the urge to have another lunge at the line and this time managed to get there. Again, the video referees were asked to intervene and there can be no doubt their decision to disallow was the correct one.

There were plenty of attacking weapons in both sides. None was more potent than Anthony Milford, the man many critics thought wasn't up to the No.6 jersey after a couple of ordinary performances early in the season. But even he was overshadowed by the late JT heroics.

Not that all of Brisbane's work was without the ball was legal. Milford's halves partner, Ben Hunt, was involved in one of the ugliest tackles of the year when he upended Linnett in a sickening spear tackle with three minutes remaining. A case could be made for a grand final send-off. In the end, it didn't matter.