Midweek State of Origin fixtures could be a thing of the past if next year's Sunday match in Melbourne is successful. Photo / Getty Images.
Melbourne is set to host a historic first ever State of Origin game to be held on a standalone weekend, according to reports from Australian media.
The Herald Sun is reporting that the NRL will announce that Origin II will be held on a Sunday, with the venue of choice
likely to be the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a stadium that can hold over 100,000 people.
The NRL will enforce a bye weekend that weekend, with all NRL games put on hold to accommodate the game, while the fixture may coincide with a general bye in the AFL to make the match at the MCG more feasible.
The last time the Victorian capital hosted an Origin match was in 2015 - the eighth time the spectacle has been hosted in Melbourne since 1990 - when over 91,000 people attended the match at the MCG.
"With regards to State of Origin, we are excited to be returning to Melbourne and we are working closely with the Victorian Government to finalise details over the coming months," an NRL spokesperson told the Herald Sun.
