NSW Blues captain Paul Gallen says neither side should whinge about the policing of the 10-metre rule during State of Origin II, even though he thought the referees had them back too far.

Officials were criticised for their relaxed stance on the rule in Origin I but were quick to penalise players at the MCG on Wednesday.

Gallen said the Blues ran out onto the MCG on Wednesday assuming the relaxed stance would continue but instead found referees enforcing the rule consistently.

He was one of the players that complained about the distance being enforced during the game, he said.

“It was a big 10, I gotta say,” Gallen told Sky Sports TV.

“I said that to the referee a couple of times in the field as well.”

“(But) as long as they (referees) are consistent with both sides, which I think they were last night, then I don’t think either side has much to complain about.”

While the referees avoided major criticism over the 10-metre rule, they came under fire over disallowed tries to Mitchell Pearce and Greg Inglis.

Pearce’s effort was denied when the final pass was ruled forward.

A few minutes later the video referee decided Michael Morgan knocked on in the lead-up to Inglis’ 80-m effort.

Gallen, who was pulled off the field with rib cartilage damage in the 18th minute, said he was proud of his team for the win.

He returned to the game with padding after receiving an injection but says he’s still in a lot of pain and did not sleep.