UPDATE: Origin 1 kicked off at 8:11pm.
They say State of Origin 1 will kick-off at 8:10pm (AEST) tonight. However, if you’ve ever watched the Maroons and Blues do battle over the years, you’ll know that simply won’t happen.
More Origin 1
» REACTION: Maroons are headed for a 3-0 Blue-wash after insipid Game 1 display
» MAROONS PLAYER RATINGS: Queensland struggle all across the park
» BLUES PLAYER RATINGS: Turbo stars but all NSW players dominate
» All the talking points from State of Origin 1
» AS IT HAPPENED: Game 1 scores, highlights, result and blog
» Team news for NSW and Queensland ahead of Origin 2
It used to be a complete and utter punchline, with kick-off times sometimes being off by 20 minutes, but recent seasons have seen the players and referees get their act together and bring kick-off times closer to schedule.
However, Origin still regularly kicks off roughly three to four minutes later than it’s supposed to.
This year could be different. Given the hasty change in venue from the MCG to Townsville’s Queensland Country Bank stadium, the Origin full-day schedule looks a bit thinner than usual.
The Veronicas are the only listed pre-match entertainment and, while their set doesn’t have a listed end time, the fact it begins a full 45 minutes before kick-off surely means it can’t interfere with the game starting.
No curtain raiser match also puts a lot less pressure on the rest of the evening.
It all comes down to when the Welcome to Country and National Anthem take place. The NRL hasn’t listed them on the official run of events at the time of publishing, but they will absolutely happen.
So, with all that in mind, will Origin 1, 2021 make history as the first ever State of Origin match to actually kick-off at the listed time?
Or will rugby league fans again be made to suffer as the minutes tick past 8:10pm without the ball being kicked?
Be sure pop your predicted start time in the form below and comment below with your thoughts. We’ll publish the results of the the State of Origin kick-off bingo poll roughly and hour before kick-off and, once the game does eventually get underway, we’ll pop the actual kick-off time in here as well.
Brett McKay
Expert
IT KICKED OFF ON TIME!!! :shock:
Rellum
Roar Guru
It will be a later start as Nine can't fit as many TVC's in during games like they used too. 8.20
Rubbish Surf 69
Roar Rookie
8:16 for sure
Brett McKay
Expert
I hope he brings up them being the best team in the Grand Final again... :stoked:
Brett McKay
Expert
8:19pm. Lock it in, Ed...
Danielle Smith
Editor
I'm going 8.25pm - giving them an extra 15 minutes for Gus to talk, the smoke to clear from the fireworks, and for Channel 9 to squeeze in a few more commercials that us Foxtel fans just cannot stand!
Stirling Coates
Editor
If it’s a Gus monologue with a bunch of Panthers in the side we could be at risk of a graveyard shift game. The lease on the temporary stands might expire before full time!
JGK
Roar Guru
8.19. Happily the kids are older these days so it doesn’t exactly coincide with bedtime.
Benjamin Conkey
Editor
They've been pretty good recently but I feel like they'll revert to their old ways to fit in the Gus monologue which is apparently back tonight. 8:21pm.