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Matt Burton leaves viewers stunned with 'otherworldly' Origin feat

Matt Burton (pictured left) puts up a kick during State of Origin and (pictured right) Kalyn Ponga attempting to make a catch.
Matt Burton (pictured left) once again left NRL fans stunned when he put up a huge bomb in State of Origin, which Kalyn Ponga (pictured right) failed to catch. (Images: Channel Nine)

Matt Burton couldn't keep himself out of the State of Origin spotlight in the decider and once again left viewers gobsmacked with a remarkable kick.

Burton was the talk of Game II after putting up a number of monster kicks to leave the Queensland defence scrambling.

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However, the Blues centre may have outdone himself in Game III after putting Kalyn Ponga in a spin with what was described as one of the biggest kicks in NRL history.

During a pulsating first half, NSW threw the ball to Burton in the 37th minute to see if he could crack the game open with a towering bomb.

Burton launched the ball from his own half and had one of the game's best fullbacks, Ponga, chasing shadows.

"That's the highest kick in history," Matthew Thompson said in commentary.

"That was breathtaking."

Andrew Johns claimed the bomb went higher than Burton's kick in Perth during Game II.

Unfortunately for NSW, the ball hit the ground and bounced safely in the hands for the Maroons.

His latest kick probably eclipsed his efforts in Game II and fans jumped on social media to joke that viewers needed a telescope to see the Steeden ball from space.

Many fans questioned why Burton's kicking wasn't used more in the second half when Queensland were piling on the pressure in the NSW half.

Regardless, Queensland's pressure was insurmountable as a late Ben Hunt try helped the Maroons defeat the Blues 22-12 in Game III in front of 52,000 vociferous Maroons supporters.

Brad Fittler left to dissect Blues defeat

Following the defeat to an under strength Maroons team, Fittler's choices were once again questioned.

On the back foot for much of the second half after having the upper hand in the first, the Blues simply weren't able to work their way back after being pummelled in defence.

The Blues slowly started running out of counters, leaving some fans to question the wisdom of selecting Stephen Crichton and Siosifa Talakai ahead of Canberra Raiders star Jack Wighton.

Wighton was electric in NSW's Game I win, but a positive Covid-19 test held him out of Game II.

Blues coach Brad Fittler (pictured middle) looking on during the State of Origin presentation.
Blues coach Brad Fittler (pictured middle) has been questioned over his selections after the State of Origin series loss. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images) (Chris Hyde via Getty Images)

He was fit to play the decider, but Fittler opted to start Crichton in the centres and bring Talakai off the bench in favour of Wighton.

With the Blues having lacked some playmaking zest when the pressure was truly on during the second half, Fittler was questioned over his selections.

It was the second time in the space of three years that Brad Fittler's side have had the chance to wrap up the series, only for Queensland to pip them and leave them soul searching.

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