Queensland

Blues coach Brad Fittler, new to the role this year, guided New South Wales to victory in his first match in Melbourne and they wrapped up just their second series win in 13 years with a game to spare on Sunday.

Unlike in 2017, NSW were able to build on their opening victory, even with veteran Billy Slater back from injury for the Maroons.

While the Origin teams aren't named for another three weeks, there are more players of Indigenous heritage under genuine consideration for Blues selection than in any previous series, with the possibility of a three-quarter line-up featuring Blake Ferguson, Latrell Mitchell, James Roberts and Josh Addo-Carr.

Wade Graham is expected to be selected if fit, while Tyrone Peachey is in strong contention for a utility role, and Jack Bird and Nathan Peats are incumbent members of a Blues team which last year fielded more Indigenous players than the Maroons for the first time.

Hunters team and management arrived in Sydney on Friday afternoon and are settling in well.

A little jet lagged, Queensland champions SP PNG Hunters arrived at the Parkroyal Hotel in the Suburb of Parramatta just outside Sydney.

Hunters have put in the hard yards and although the Queensland Intrust Super Cup challenge is done and dusted, the journey goes further than that for these local heroes.

Upon arrival, coach Michael Marum was his usual cool, calm and collected self when checking in at the Parkroyal Hotel Parramatta.

The Barras batted first and were bowled out for a 226 runs in 48.3 overs.

Captain Assad Vala top scored for the Barras with 43 runs, while Dogodo Bau (36), Lega Siaka (32), Mahuru Dai (31) and Vani Vagi Morea (22) all chipped in with some runs in the top to middle order.

D’Arcy Short did the damage with the ball for Australian Indigenous finishing with (5/34).

The Australian Indigenous side encountered little trouble chasing down the target reaching it inside 34 overs.

With a ‘One Training Centre - Two Campuses’ approach, the two training campuses are Mount Hagen, Western Highlands and Mareeba, Queensland, Australia.

MAF is planning two intakes each year, with the opportunity for up to four PNG students to begin training at each intake.

Within two years, the MAF Training Centre (TC) aims to produce professional and competent pilots with relevant licenses, ratings and approximately 240 hours flying experience.

Twenty-three of the MV-22 Osprey's crew were rescued in a search and rescue operation after the aircraft "entered the water" about 4pm during "regularly scheduled operations" on Saturday, according to the III Marine Expeditionary Force.

The tilt-rotor aircraft had been in Queensland as part of the Talisman Sabre joint training exercise between Australian and United States military forces, which ended on July 25.

The exercises were taking place in Shoalwater Bay training area near Rockhampton in Central Queensland.

Slater feared at times his career would end prematurely after season-ending shoulder injuries in the past two seasons. 

The former Kangaroos fullback was visibly emotional during an interview on-field following the side's two-point victory and Slater admitted the successful comeback got the better of him with the Maroons pulling off a miracle to level the State of Origin series at 1-1 heading into the decider at Suncorp Stadium in July 12. 

Currently sidelined with injury, Scott will add an extra sprinkle of stardust to an already impressive roster of sporting celebrities at the Trukai Fun Run.

Scott will lead as the 2017 Trukai Fun Run Ambassador on Sunday June 11 at the Sir John Guise Stadium.

He will be joined by another Cowboys favourite, retired Australian and Queensland centre/winger, Brent Tate.

The duo will also have alongside them SP Hunters players and Team PNG athletes.

There was no sand in sight at Deception Bay at the weekend when thousands of jellyfish stranded themselves, in what is known as a bloom.

Marine biologist Dr Lisa-Ann Gershwin, who specialises in jellyfish, said the bloom was one of the biggest she had seen in her 25 years of research.

"Jellyfish bloom is part of their lifecycle and if the winds blow just right and if the water level falls with the tide, then they get stranded.

"We see jellyfish bloom, but not like this, this is jaw dropping."

Dr Gershwin described the sight as "a wallpaper of jellyfish".

Speaking after the last-gasp 18-14 loss in a series they had already wrapped up after two games, skipper Cameron Smith was tight-lipped about Blues players not hanging around for the end of the formalities to do a lap of the ground thanking fans.

In a response to outgoing Blues captain Paul Gallen's labelling of Queenslanders earlier in the week as poor winners, Smith added that he felt the Maroons playing group has been humble right throughout its 11 years of Origin dominance.