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Opinion
For the first time in its four-decade history, State of Origin will be played during the post-season, with the annual state vs state, mate vs mate showdown having been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s series will see all three matches played in consecutive weeks, starting with tonight’s opening game at the Adelaide Oval.
It will be the first time Origin is played in the City of Churches and with COVID-safe protocols, a maximum of 26,500 patrons will be permitted to attend – half the Oval’s regular capacity.
Brad Fittler is looking for a third consecutive series win, which would be NSW’s first since 2003-05.
The Blues dropped the first game in Brisbane last year, but hit back with a huge victory in Perth, before winning their first live series decider since 2005 when James Tedesco scored at the death for a 26-20 victory.
The previous year, the Blues won the first two matches before losing the dead rubber match in Brisbane.
Despite some injury concerns, Tedesco is good to go, while his Roosters teammate Luke Keary will make his Origin debut at five-eighth, partnering Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary.
Clinton Gutherson and Junior Paulo will also be debuting, while Daniel Tupou returns to the side for the first time since Game 1 in 2015.
Clint Gutherson (Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
In the other corner, veteran Wayne Bennett will coach the Maroons for the first time since 2003 and he will have the concept’s most successful coach – Mal Meninga, winner of nine Origin series in a decade in charge between 2006 and 2015 – in his corner.
The pair have won 13 series between them as coaches, though Bennett also oversaw the 2002 series draw, and as the Maroons had won the previous year’s series, they retained the shield by default.
This team will have to make do without Kalyn Ponga, who has been ruled out of the series due to a shoulder injury, with AJ Brimson named to debut in the number one guernsey. At the other end of the spectrum, Roosters veteran Jake Friend will make his debut as hooker at the ripe old age of 30.
His Roosters teammate Lindsay Collins has also been named to debut, as have Xavier Coates, Brenko Lee, Phillip Sami, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Coen Hess and Jaydn Su’A.
However, at the time of writing, Lee is in doubt due to injury.
Both teams have had their final training sessions and, as was the case during the recently concluded NRL season, teams will fly in and out of Adelaide.
The Blues are looking to win a third straight series and continue to claw back some damage from the previous years, while the Maroons will want to force a decider on home turf for Game 3.
After five-and-a-half months of waiting, let the State of Origin series begin!
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