Queensland's greatest ever player Wally Lewis wished he'd pulled the boots back on to be part of Wednesday night's stirring 23-18 victory, after admiring his State's courage and faith and refusal to be beaten.

Lewis was out in the middle of the Maroon mayhem on ANZ Stadium as Darren Lockyer and Mal Meninga's men conquered their last Origin frontier with the clean sweep series and title of "best ever" Queensland team.

Only this time - the man known as "King" Wally - wasn't collecting a man-of-the-match award (he won eight of them) or lifting the Origin trophy aloft to the boos of NSW fans, he was reporting on Queensland's magnificent comeback win for the Nine Network.

He still couldn't shut out the feelings that surged proudly through him so many times in his 32 Origins as he watched the Queensland players hug and congratulate each other after writing their names in Origin history, continuing a legacy he and Arthur Beetson started at Lang Park back in 1980.

"I think I've wanted to pull them (boots) back on with every game I've watched," said Lewis as the Queensland players soaked up the moment.

"The thing that was outstanding about it is the word I've used with Mal (Meninga) and which they all will keep, and it's `faith'.

"The faith those blokes have in each other in some of the most difficult situations when they were doing it tough on their own line ... they were done and dusted so many times out there.

"To see the blokes and to know they have each other's backs, that's what makes them such a wonderful football team."

When NSW utility Kurt Gidley used his body as a torpedo driving low and long to score just after half-time, he had to spear through five Queensland defenders who appeared from thin air.

"You look at those things and what they do for each other and you know they trust their team mate," said Lewis.

"You look at them, they're not getting carried away, they're just happy, that's a great thing with a champion side."

Former NSW halfback, Steve Mortimer, the player credited with putting the passion into the sky blue jumper, was disappointed but excited by the performance of NSW and their four rookie players.

"They stretched them. They scored tries, they had a real dig," said Mortimer, the first NSW captain to win an Origin series.

"It was the best effort of the three games absolutely and it gives us something to build on next year."

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