Rugby-Cronk gives Queensland the edge in league's State of Origin

SYDNEY, May 27 (Reuters) - Cooper Cronk slotted a 30-metre drop goal six minutes from time to give Queensland an 11-10 victory over New South Wales in a typically hard fought opening match in rugby league's State of Origin series on Wednesday. New South Wales, defending the title for the first time in 10 years, had the chance to draw level in the 78th minute but Josh Dugan's drop goal attempt sailed wide to the disappointment of a majority of a crowd of 80,122 at Sydney's Olympic Stadium. "Tough game, that was a really tough round of football," scrumhalf Cronk said in a pitchside interview. "Really physical and we hung in there, really pleased to get the first game our way." Cronk had cut through the home defence to give Queensland an early first-half lead but centre Josh Morris hit back in the 20th minute after a blistering 40-metre break and crosskick from fullback Dugan. Forward Beau Scott crashed over six minutes later to give the home side a 10-6 halftime lead but Will Chambers tied the scores up with a well-worked try in the corner 15 minutes into the second half. New South Wales must now win both of the remaining matches, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 17 and in Brisbane on July 8, to claim back-to-back titles for the first time since 2005. (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Amlan Chakraborty)