NRL State of Origin Game 1
NRL's biggest rivalry returns to pit state against state and mate against mate.
Overview
The NSW Blues will do everything in their power to prevent a Queensland Maroons three-peat when the NRL's fiercest rivalry resumes on Wednesday, June 5, at Accor Stadium in Olympic Park. Despite the Maroons leading the way in overall Men's Origin wins, things have been more evenly matched in recent years, with each state winning three of the last six series and no whitewash occurring since Queensland's 2010 demolition of NSW.
The last time the teams met in Sydney in Game 3 in 2023, the Blues took the win, but it was a dead rubber with the Maroons' 2-0 lead going into the final game, meaning Sydney hasn't seen a competitive home win since 2020. Michael Maguire takes charge of his first Origin series off the back of five years coaching the New Zealand national team and faces a tough call over whether to drop captain James Tedesco.
Origin games are always one of the highlights of the Australian sporting calendar. This year, for the first time, the Women's State of Origin expands to a three-game series, with Game 2 taking place at Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday, June 6.
Images: Destination NSW