Jack Wighton, of the Blues, is tackled in last year's final match of the State of Origin series. Photo / Getty Images
Jack Wighton, of the Blues, is tackled in last year's final match of the State of Origin series. Photo / Getty Images
What's on?
Mate against mate! A highlight of the sporting calendar for Kiwis who love to watch large Australians thump each other, State of Origin kicks off tonight at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
It's like Super Bowl meets Kath & Kim. The annual three-match Origin series is as much a part of Australia's rich cultural fabric as Kylie snogging Jason, dossing on a sofa in London and crying at a press conference when you've been busted for cheating at cricket.
How can I watch?
Coverage starts on Sky Sport 4 at 9pm, with kickoff scheduled for 10.10pm. Live streaming is available on Sky Sport Now. Bear in mind that Origin matches have a rich and vibrant history of starting way past their planned kickoff time as the players take a few extra moments to shout at the walls in the changing room and slam a fist into the palm of the other hand.
The ACC's rugby league podcast, Mad Monday featuring Dai Henwood, Ben Hurley and Chris Key will be running a State Of Origin live watch-along. You can find it on Mad Monday's Facebook page and Youtube channel, it will also be streaming on their iHeartRadio station.
Will there be biff?
Unlikely. But expect replays of vintage biff to pad out the unscheduled 20 minutes of broadcast time pre-kickoff while the players are wall-shouting.
Blues head coach Brad Fittler looks on during a training session this week. Photo / Getty Images
Big selection calls?
Blues coach Brad Fittler dropped Origin veterans Jake Trbojevic and Josh Addo-Carr. Kotoni Staggs makes his debut in the centres. Queensland's first-time coach Billy Slater has gamely named five debutants: Cowboys Reuben Cotter, Tom Dearden and Jeremiah Nanai, alongside Selwyn Cobbo and Patrick Carrigan of the Broncos.
What's at stake?
The Blues are looking for their fourth State of Origin title in five years. Which would be a pretty good run, but barely scratches the surface of the Maroons bizarre 11-from-12 juggernaut that ran from 2006 to 2017.
Before Queensland started that run, honours were largely even across the history of the series, both in terms of points scored and titles claimed. Today, Queensland have 22 series titles to NSW's 16 (with two series drawn). The Maroons have bagged 64 matches to the Blues 54.
Daly Cherry-Evans calls the shots in training with Queensland this week. Photo / Chris Hyde, Getty Images
How can I sound like I know what I'm talking about?
The bookies are backing the Blues. But whichever of the two playmakers, Nathan Cleary and Daly Cherry-Evans, is more on point with their kicking game might carry the day. The Blues big men should move the ball around more; expect the Maroons to charge, bash and play the ball fast.
Who should I cheer for?
Origin claimed a spot in Kiwi hearts with some ding-dong battles in the halcyon days of the 1980s. Queensland felt like underdogs, while New South Wales had bigger names but seemed a bit flash.
It was a spell that peaked in 1991 when legendary Kiwi coach Graham Lowe became the first non-Australian to coach an Origin side, guiding the Maroons to a 2-1 victory.
In truth it doesn't really matter who New Zealanders cheer for in Origin. For Kiwis, watching Origin brings to life an old joke:
Q: Who would win in a fight to the death between John Terry and Joey Barton. A: We all would.
Kiwi coaching legend Graham Lowe. Photo / Getty Images
What's next?
Game 2 is on Sunday, June 26 in Perth, and Game 3 is Wednesday, July 13 in Brisbane. Both matches kick off when the players are good and ready.
