Queensland coach Wayne Bennett believes the media are to blame for sparking a melee between Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Payne Haas during the second State of Origin clash against New South Wales on Wednesday night.
Midway through the second half, both players were sin-binned for punching in an incident that left Bennett concerned, as both players could miss next week's decider if charged by the match review committee.
Bennett feels the incident was sparked from a report in The Courier-Mail, which claimed there was a tense rivalry between Fa'asuamaleaui and Haas dating back three years to when the pair represented their states in U18 Origin.
The incident had no impact on the match as New South Wales levelled the series with a 34-10 win, setting up a winner-takes-all clash next week in Queensland.
"I knew deep down today there was going to be a blue here tonight," said Bennett.
"I've worked with you guys for a long period of time now so I know you'll take no responsibility for it but that was a headline in Brisbane today.
"Wherever it came from about him going for each other, they're young men, 20 years of age, and headlines like that just throw fuel on to the fire.
"If that's not a headline today I don't think that happens tonight. They both would've read the paper today and it stirs the emotion in them, that's my point.
"They've got to be responsible for their actions, I accept that, but you're talking about 20-year-olds with headlines about two years ago and their dislike for each other.
"That fight didn't come from nowhere tonight, it was already brewing from this morning and the background as well."
Blues coach Brad Fittler and captain James Tedesco downplayed the incident.
Haas also shut down any claims of tension between the pair, saying he was more concerned about the spray he's likely to cop from his family.
"I couldn't even get punches away, heaps of the boys were holding me back," Haas told Nine after the match.
"It was a heat of the moment. Me and Tino are good mates. I just saw red. My grandmother and my mum will probably get up at me after this."
But Bennett still feels the media are to blame for the incident.
"I didn't want to, I hoped it had blown over and they got on with life but deep down I just knew that wasn't going to happen," Bennett said.
"It's easier to criticise them when they have to take some responsibility for it, but it's the type of headlines as well they just don't handle, and they didn't handle it well tonight, either of them."
Join us next Wednesday for live updates of the NSW v Queensland State of Origin decider
