New South Wales will resume its second innings on day three of the Sheffield Shield clash at the SCG on 0-27, trailing Queensland by 117 runs.
Usman Khawaja (14) and Phillip Hughes (11) survived a testing seven-over period prior to stumps but the hosts have the job ahead of them against their northern rivals.
A spirited post-tea fightback led by Blues pacemen Burt Cockley (5-76) and Doug Bollinger (3-78) restricted Queensland to a first-innings lead of 144 as the visitors were dismissed for 354 late in the day.
Resuming at 3-237 - a lead of 27 runs - the Bulls lost 4-44 as the Blues desperately tried to stem the tide on a flat SCG deck.
But the Bulls steadied through tail-ender Chris Swan, who added a valuable 35 runs late in the innings as the Bulls piled on 55 for the final two wickets to remain well on top.
Martin Love starred with the bat for the visitors with a well-compiled 110 before the Blues quicks took matters into their own hands in the extended final session.
Having struggled for rhythm throughout his previous spells, Bollinger sparked the revival, taking 2-11 in a blistering six-over spell after tea.
Lee Carseldine (36) became the lethal-left armer's first scalp of the domestic summer when he shouldered arms, allowing his off stump to be rattled.
Amid the commotion, Love kept his cool to reach triple figures in fine style with his eighth boundary of the innings.
But Bollinger engineered the vital breakthrough from his next over when Love played a defensive push straight to Grant Lambert at gully.
Cockley continued the carnage, removing skipper Chris Simpson caught at first slip by Hughes for 16, and nailed his second five-wicket haul in as many matches when Chris Hartley shouldered arms to a straight delivery and was adjudged lbw.
Attempting to steal a quick single, James Hopes (14) was next to depart when a Beau Casson direct hit from mid-on caught him short of his ground.
A handy 32-run stand between Harris and Swan steered the visitors to a 121-run lead before Harris was caught at mid-off by Casson off the bowling of Bollinger.
Swan's valuable knock ended when he was bowled by Lambert (1-61) attempting to clear the boundary.
Earlier, a 74-run stand between Law and Carseldine saw the Bulls secure first-innings points before a heavy shower forced the umpires to call an early tea break.
It was a poor start to the day for the Blues as Nick Kruger (78) and Love progressed through the opening 90 minutes of the session without offering a chance.
A glorious drive from Kruger brought up the 150-run stand and the Blues looked in for a long day, but Cockley had other ideas, removing Kruger and Clinton Perren lbw in quick succession to give the Blues a glimmer of hope.
NSW 1st innings 210
Queensland 1st innings
Broad b Cockley 0
Kruger lbw Cockley 78
Love c Lambert b Bollinger 110
Perren lbw Cockley 2
Carseldine b Bollinger 36
Hopes run out (Casson) 14
Simpson c Hughes b Cockley 16
Hartley lbw Cockley 6
Harris c Casson b Bollinger 27
Swan b Lambert 35
Doran not out 2
Extras: 28 (12 nb, 9 b, 7 lb)
Total: 354 (10 wickets; 101.3 overs)
FoW: 1-7, 2-159, 3-163, 4-237, 5-248, 6-275, 7-281, 8-299, 9-331, 10-354
Bowling
Bollinger 23 - 5 - 78 - 3 (6 nb)
Cockley 19 - 1 - 76 - 5 (2 nb)
Lambert 16.3 - 1 - 61 - 1 (3 nb)
Henriques 15- 3 - 59 - 0 (1 nb)
Casson 12 - 2 - 25 - 0
Smith 16 - 2 - 39 - 0
Khawaja not out 14
Hughes not out 11
Extras: 2 (2 lb)
Total: 27 (no wicket; 7 overs)
Bowling
Harris 4 - 0 - 16 - 0
Swan 3 - 1 - 9 - 0