Queensland superstar Kalyn Ponga has become the seventh player in State of Origin history to be sent off.
Ponga was given his marching orders in the second half of Wednesday night's Origin series opener, after collecting NSW debutant Tolu Koula high with 22 minutes to play.
The Maroons protested his innocence, but was told by referee Ashley Klein that it was a "shoulder charge" with "direct contact to the head".
Replays suggested it may have been head-on-head contact, with fullback Ponga rushing across field to try and shut down a Koula break.
Winger Koula also immediately left the field and failed his HIA, with the Blues able to activate Casey McLean as an 18th man in place of the Manly speedster.
