State Of Origin 2026 Game One
The 2026 NRL State of Origin series kicks off tonight with Game One in Sydney, as the Maroons strive to keep the cup in Queensland for another year.
Pressure is on for the Queensland squad to claim an early lead in the 45th annual State of Origin after snatching victory from New South Wales last year.
Billy Slater’s Maroons will be led on field by league legend and 2026 team captain Cameron Munster, who has defended his decision to not attend Sunday’s training session as being the best thing for him physically ahead of the game.
Roosters halfback Sam Walker makes his Origin debut for Queensland in what is being called a “calculated gamble” for Slater in the absence of Daly Cherry-Evans and the injured Tom Dearden.
23 year-old Walker grew up in Ipswich and is one of the game’s most promising young talents, setting expectations high for his Origin outing.
Broncos fullback Reece Walsh has been left out of the squad, experiencing a poor start to the NRL season after returning from a facial injury.
There is a chance Walsh could play in game two or three if his performance improves to the satisfaction of Queensland selectors.
The Maroons have been given an inspirational boost before the opening game, inviting Jai Arrow into camp for dinner and to help motivate the team. Jai played 12 games for the Maroons and shared the field with Slater in 2018.
The Rabbitohs forward was forced to medically retire from the game last week after revealing he had been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), a neurological disorder that affects the nerves controlling voluntary movement. Former Maroon Carl Webb passed away from MND in 2023.
In the Blues camp, coach Laurie Daley confirms Mitch Moses is out of game one due to a hamstring injury.
Daley has backed 21 year-old Ethan Strange to play to five-eighth position in Moses’ place, giving the youngblood his first taste of Origin.
The absence of Moses from game one causes some concern for the Blues, given he was injured in game one of 2025 and ruled out of games two and three, allowing Queensland to come from behind and win.
Strange will be partnered in the halves with Nathan Cleary, who is long considered the best halfback in the game and expected to finally claim the title of a ‘great of the game’ if he can help the Blues win the series this year.
Cleary’s Origin record shows he has won three series, with an overall record of eight wins from 17 games and has lost all three decider games he played in.
But that’s all statistics and scuttlebutt; once they take the field and kick-off, it’s either team’s game for the taking.
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Game one of the 2026 State of Origin series begins under the shadow of the shock exit of NRL CEO Andrew Abdo in a bombshell code swap.
Abdo stepped down from the role and will replace Craig Tiley as head of Tennis Australia. Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V’landys will serve as interim CEO until 15 July.
Abdo served as NRL CEO since 2020, guiding the game through the pandemic and presiding over its international expansion.
State of Origin is NRL’s ultimate rivalry, pitting mate against mate and state against state in a battle for league supremacy. Historically, Queensland leads the Origin stats with 26 overall wins since the series began in 1980. New South Wales have won 18, with two series resulting in a draw.
