New South Wales have forced the 2025 PBR Origin series into a decider with a 490 points to 481.75 win over Queensland in Origin II at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.
It was a tough night for the cowboys across the long rounds. Just seven qualified rides were recorded in Rounds 1 and 2, with the Maroons taking a slender 74.50-point lead into the bonus round.
The teams traded blows in the final outs of the night, with the lead changing hands three times in the final eight trips of the night.
First to ride time in the Bonus Round was Brazilian Alison Aguiar, who handled the mid-ride direction change of Battle of the Roan (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) to post 84.25 points. That put the Blues up by 10.25 points.
Athol young gun Zane Hall was next out for the Maroons, and he equalled Aguiar's mark to restore the home teams' 74.50 point advantage. He had to survive a late change of direction from Ambush (CF7 Bucking Bulls) for his 84.25 points.
Momentum swung back to the Blues in the following trips, with Oberon's Jack Rowlandson conquering former Bucking Bulls of the Year Cattle King Boogers Beach (Dittmann Bucking Bulls) for 83.50 points.
Matheus Rodrigues then gritted out 8 seconds aboard Jackie Red (Dunne Bulls) - but Queensland coach Jared Borghero challenged the result, claiming the Brazilian contacted the bull with his free arm in the closing stages of the ride.
The crowd held their breath as they watched the replay judge conduct a lengthy review of the ride in real-time on the big screen.
It was close, but was ruled an unsuccessful challenge and the judges awarded Rodrigues 82.50 points, pushing New South Wales into lead a near insurmountable 91.50 points.
Mareeba veteran Kurt Shephard was the lone Queenslander left to ride aboard Voodoo Doll (ST Bucking Bulls), and he did his job making the whistle, but it wasn’t enough bull - 83.25 points, which reduced the final margin to just 8.25 points.
New South Wales Coach Lachlan Richardson praised the character his team showed on a brutal night with his side suffering multiple injuries.
“Tuff Hedeman once said - Mental Toughness is finding fuel in an empty tank", he opened.
“The tank was pretty empty there for a while, but they dug deep and finished the way we wanted to”.
“We will take a lot of good out of this win – It is just the beginning.”
Earlier in the night, the two teams went ride-for-ride during the first section of Round 1.
Calliope cowboy Ben Bode rode Haymaker (MC Bucking Bulls) for the second time in this Origin series. This time, he overcame a difficult start to finish strong into his hand, earning 80.75 points for Queensland.
Jack Rowlandson answered back for the Blues with a low-scoring ride aboard Poker Face (MJ and Keliher Bucking Bulls). A re-ride option was offered to Rowlandson, but the team decision was to keep the 76.25 points on the board.
Next out was Kurt Shephard, who added 86 points to the Maroon's total with the highest-marked ride of the night aboard the rarely ridden Tropical Rash (Dunne Bulls). The score moved Shephard to the top of the 2025 Cowboy of Origin standings with a combined total of 170 points across his long-round bulls in the series.
Matheus Rodrigues converted his opening opportunity of the night into 81.25 points, which moved him into second place in the race to become Cowboy of Origin on 169 points. His ride came away from his hand on cowboy favourite Tezzas Pride (JD Bucking Bulls).
As the bull power increased, riders from both teams hit the dirt before the bell, and the injuries piled up until Rockhampton talent Caiden Sandilands hung on to Stranger Danger (MJ and Keliher Bucking Bulls) for 66.50 points, giving Queensland a 233.25 to 158.00 lead at the main intermission.
The bulls dominated Round 2, allowing just two scores from the 20-rider field. They opened with fourteen straight buck-offs before Walcha’s Tyson Smith stopped the rot and moved the Blues into the lead with 81.75 points on Figjam (BK Bucking Bulls) with just a handful of riders remaining.
The Maroons regained the lead thanks to Zane Hall, who handled everything Bad Apple (Ruhland Ranch Bucking Bulls) threw at him for 81 points in the final qualified ride of the round. The score entering the Bonus Round was 314.25 to 239.75.
Queensland Coach Jared Borghero said he was disappointed with the result but not with the effort his team showed on their home dirt.
“No excuses tonight – Congratulations to New South Wales.”
“But we’re Queensland - we never lose, we learn, and we'll go down to Sydney, hit them where it hurts and get the series win and bring it home to you", he promised the big Brisbane crowd.
Alpha Blokes Warden (MJ and Keliher Bucking Bulls) picked up his fourth YETI ABBI High Marked Bull of the Event award for the season after he was marked 44.00 points in his Round 2 ‘bout of the No. 1’s’ with Kurt Shephard.
View the Full Results from Origin II and updated 2025 PBR Australian National Standings.
The series heads back to New South Wales for Game 3 at the ICC Theatre in Sydney for the second ‘decider’ in PBR Origin History on Saturday, 5 July 2025. Check out the event details and information on how to secure your tickets here.
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