New South Wales take on Queensland in the State of Origin series opener in Sydney tonight. Nzherald.co.nz takes a look at the best and worst of the Australian series.
Three things to look forward to:
1) The tribalism
It's been lost in New Zealand's domestic and Super rugby, a crying shame. The venom drives Origin's popularity and draws the best out of exhausted players. NSW captain Robbie Farah said: "That's the beauty of Origin, the tribal warfare. I don't like what they represent and they don't like what we represent." Yes.
2) A nail biting finish