Valentine Holmes of the Maroons makes a break during game one. Photo / Getty
Valentine Holmes of the Maroons makes a break during game one. Photo / Getty
It all comes down to this.
Queensland and New South Wales face off in State of Origin III tonight to determine who will walk away with the title for another year.
Queensland won Game 1 in Sydney by six points before the Blues bounced back in style to thump Billy Slater's troops 44-12 in Perth.
The Maroons have the advantage of playing the decider in front of their home crowd at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, where they boast a formidable record.
Only twice have NSW won Game 3 deciders in enemy territory since Origin started 40 years ago.
Coverage starts on Sky Sport 4 at 8pm NZT, with kick-off scheduled for 10.10pm.
The ACC's league podcast, Mad Monday featuring Dai Henwood, Ben Hurley and Chris Key, are now bringing you all the State Of Origin action thanks to Wendy's!
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.
The odds:
Queensland $3.15, New South Wales $1.34.
The squads:
Queensland
1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Selwyn Cobbo 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Dane Gagai 5. Corey Oates 6. Tom Dearden 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Lindsay Collins 9. Ben Hunt 10. Josh Papalii 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 14. Harry Grant 15. Jai Arrow 16. Patrick Carrigan 17. Tom Gilbert 18. Thomas Flegler 21. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
New South Wales
1. James Tedesco (c) 2. Brian To'o 3. Matt Burton 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Daniel Tupou 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Apisai Koroisau 10. Jake Trbojevic 11. Cameron Murray 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Damien Cook 15. Angus Crichton 16. Junior Paulo 17. Siosifa Talakai 18. Jack Wighton 24. Dale Finucane
The preview:
Daly Cherry-Evans says he is ready to deliver a captain's knock for Queensland as coach Billy Slater declared "it's time" for the Maroons skipper to engineer another epic NSW boilover at Suncorp Stadium.
Cherry-Evans famously steered the Maroons to their magical series win at Suncorp two years ago and the memory of hoisting the interstate shield is driving Queensland's main man to reprise his Origin heroics.
The 33-year-old enters Wednesday night's Suncorp decider under enormous pressure.
Cherry-Evans was torched by rival Nathan Cleary in Origin II, is in danger of losing his No.7 Australian jumper to the NSW halfback for the World Cup and leads Queensland onto Suncorp without his Covid-stricken playmaking cohort Cameron Munster.
Cameron Munster of the Maroons breaks away from Cameron Murray of the Blues. Photo / Getty
Once sensationally booed by Queensland fans following his infamous Titans contract backflip, Cherry-Evans turned the tide of public opinion when he orchestrated the Maroons' stunning 20-14 upset of the Blues in the Suncorp decider of 2020.
Now, with the Maroons rocked by a Covid crisis and reeling from a 44-12 hiding in Game Two, Cherry-Evans is primed to fight fire with fire with Cleary in a Suncorp decider that could define his Origin legacy.
"I remember the spirit we showed in the 2020 decider and I believe we can do it again," said Cherry-Evans, who plays his 19th game for Queensland in the 2022 series decider.
"My message to the guys is we cannot stop believing for one second _ we cannot give NSW a sniff of victory.
"We will know exactly what our game plan will be come Wednesday night and as halfback, if I do my job that will allow other people in our team to perform to their strengths.
"Whether Nathan Cleary is or isn't the front runner for the World Cup, I can't control what he is doing. The only thing I can control is my footy and I am proud of the footy that I am playing and have played in this series.
"If I can keep improving and playing well, then I will back myself to be there at the end of the year for Australia."
Cherry-Evans has been Queensland's halfback mainstay since Ben Hunt was dropped for the Game Three dead rubber of 2018.
The 2022 Suncorp decider will represent his 13th consecutive game in the No.7 jumper and without the instinctive magic of Munster, the Maroons are banking on Cherry-Evans' experience in the nerve centre to deliver a victory for the ages.
With Munster's rookie replacement Tom Dearden facing a daunting Origin baptism, Maroons coach Slater backed Cherry-Evans to step up and rubberstamp his greatness in the Origin arena.
"I have been really impressed with Daly's preparation for this Game Three," Slater said.
"With his original halves partner (out), and we bring in a younger guy (Dearden) and we have Benny Hunt there (as a halves option) … it's his time."
Cherry-Evans says he will be driven by the euphoria of 2020, when he skippered Wayne Bennett's 'Baby' Maroons to arguably the greatest series boilover in Origin's 42-year history.
"That was really special," he said.
"It was made a lot more special with the journey I had taken falling out of the Queensland side and I fell out of favour with the fans and the people of Queensland, so to be able to feel that I won back some support, I felt like I did it at that moment when I held the shield up.
