Queensland's record run scorer Martin Love marked his return from injury with a century as the Bulls prospered despite another impressive effort from young NSW paceman Burt Cockley in the Sheffield Shield cricket clash at the SCG.
Love (110 off 208 balls) steered his sided past the Blues' modest first innings score of 210 and helped them reach 354 all out, a 144-run first innings lead.
NSW reduced the deficit to 117, as openers Usman Khawaja (14) and Phillip Hughes (11) guided them to 0-27 at stumps on day two.
That deficit would have been even bigger had it not been for the efforts of Cockley (5-76 off 19), who took 5-84 in his last first-class appearance against Victoria at the SCG earlier this month.
He bowled with plenty of pace on an unresponsive pitch in front of Australian selector Merv Hughes, who was checking the form of Indian Test tourist Doug Bollinger (3-78 off 23), who was rusty early on but bowled better as the day progressed.
Love, who missed the Bulls' last Shield game with a groin injury, made the Blues pay dearly for dropping him in the slips on 0 and 11 on Friday.
He put on 152 with Nick Kruger (78 of 118) and 75 with Lee Carseldine (36 off 95).
Kruger smashed 14 fours in his maiden first-class half century, while Love found the boundary nine times.
An untimely pre-tea shower interrupted Love's innings on 99, but 14 minutes after the resumption he brought up his 43rd first-class century and first this season.
He described his 271-minute, 206-ball knock as "patient" and "pretty good" and said it got harder to score as the ball got older.
Love 34, has missed a fair slab of cricket in recent seasons because of several injuries.
"It's good to know you can still compete at that level and I guess from my point of view, it's got the team into a good position for a result in this game," he said.
"I've had a couple of disappointing years through injury, but it's always good to get back and play and I'm trying to make the most of every innings."
Cockley, 22, playing in just his fourth first-class game, boosted his wicket tally for the season to 14 from four innings
The former groundsman attributed his recent success to improved fitness and strength after concentrating full-time on cricket.
"I'm a lot more comfortable, I'm starting to find my feet, I'm getting more games under my belt and I'm a lot more at ease," he said.
He felt he had found an extra yard in pace and was bowling quicker for longer periods.
The Bulls were cruising at 3-238, but Bollinger removed Love and Carseldine after tea and Cockley made further inroads.
Ryan Harris (27 off 34) and Chris Swan (35 off 48) then added useful late runs.