The 2010 State of Origin series was the 29th annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams played entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. For the second year in a row, a Queensland victory set a new record for consecutive State of Origin titles, reaching five. Queensland won all three matches, completing their first series white-wash since 1995.
In a world first, the Nine Network broadcast free-to-air for the first match in 3D to the Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne areas. Part-way through the series it became steeped in controversy, firstly for Israel Folau's announcement of his defection to the AFL and subsequent non-selection by Queensland, and secondly by New South Wales' Andrew Johns–Timana Tahu racial slur controversy. Queensland fullback Billy Slater was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as Player of the Series.
Game I
In addition to Matt Ballin, who was included as Queensland's hooker due to Cameron Smith's failure to recover from an elbow injury suffered in the 2010 ANZAC Test, Dave Taylor and Cooper Cronk were selected to make their debuts for the Maroons.
Jamal Idris and Brett Morris were New South Wales' only rookies.
Prior to kick-off Australia's national anthem was performed by Sam Moran on a rainy night at ANZ Stadium. There were plenty of handling errors in the wet conditions and New South Wales were dominating field position early in the match. In the seventh minute their lock forward Anthony Watmough put a bomb up near Queensland's try-line which the Maroons' defence failed to secure. Jarryd Hayne was there to dive on it and the Blues had their first try. Jamie Lyon kicked the extras, so the score was 6–0. After more dropped ball Queensland then had an opportunity in good field position. In the fifteenth minute their halfback Johnathan Thurston took on the New South Wales defensive line before throwing a one-handed pass over the top of the defence to Darius Boyd to score untouched out on the wing. Thurston's conversion was successful, so it was 6–6. The score remained level until the twenty-eighth minute when the Blues were awarded a dubious penalty for a Maroons offside infringement and Lyon kicked it successfully, giving his side an 8–6 lead. About five minutes later, Queensland had made it to within fifteen metres of New South Wales' line when Thurston chipped the ball ahead for his fullback Billy Slater to pick up and dive over the line with. The Maroons halfback kicked the extras, so the score was 8–12 and remained unchanged for the remaining five minutes of the first half.