After three weeks of turmoil that included the axing of captain Daly Cherry-Evans, the Maroons produced a famous Queensland performance for the ages to win 26-24.
It didn't come easy after the Maroons led 26-6 at half-time and then let in four second-half tries to allow the Blues to get within two points with six minutes left.
But just as NSW threatened to pull off the first 20-point comeback in Origin history, Payne Haas dropped a ball on attack late and the Maroons held on.
Goalkicking proved the difference with NSW scoring more tries but Zac Lomax converting just two of five.
The result sets up a series decider in Sydney on July 9, with NSW suddenly searching for answers after being well below their best at Optus Stadium.
On a frantic night that boiled over on several occasions, Jarome Luai was placed on report for an alleged eye gouge on Reuben Cotter.
Luai appeared to make contact with Cotter's eye in the first half before Maroons fullback Kalyn Ponga then made a raking action to officials.
That alone summed up the night for the Blues, who at one stage trailed the penalty count 9-0 and had a crucial Nathan Cleary try overturned by an obstruction.
Even still, this was night for the Maroons on a day that began with coach Billy Slater apologising for press-conference comments that referenced the late Paul Green.
"I'm just proud of our boys to turn up for Billy," new Queensland captain Cameron Munster said.Â
"Because there's been a lot of speculation in the media and we need to turn up for our coach tonight, and we did.
"It was a never-say-die attitude. We had our backs against the wall.
"We kept working and turning up for each other, and got the chocolates."
NSW looked as if they were going to continue their form from the series-opening 18-6 win at Suncorp Stadium early, crossing first through Brian To'o.
But what followed was an invoking of the Queensland spirit that Origin has largely been built on.
The Maroons attack came to life, with Robert Toia sending Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow over for one and the winger jumping over Brian To'o for another.
Munster scored once when Harry Grant got out of dummy-half, while Kurt Mann offloaded for a Kurt Capewell four-pointer before the break.
Capewell's try looked likely to be a heartbreaker for the Blues, after Cleary had been denied for the obstruction moments earlier.
But any thought Queensland had of cruising to victory was quickly killed off in the second half.
To'o had his second shortly after the break when NSW stripped Queensland for numbers, before Stephen Crichton went through three defenders to make it a 12-point game.
The comeback was then well and truly alive when Cleary and Luai combined to help Latrell Mitchell send To'o over for his third.
And when Mitchell pulled off a one-on-one strip on Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Angus Crichton ran onto a Luai grubberkick, NSW looked set to storm home.
But in the end Queensland stood tall at the death, sealing a famous backs-to-the-wall win to keep hope of winning back the Origin shield.
"It's disappointing, because it was there to be taken I feel like," NSW captain Isaah Yeo said.
"We were a little bit short at the end of the day."
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