The NSW Blues have begun their campaign to win back-to-back State of Origin series with an 18-6 win over the Queensland Maroons in Brisbane last night.
Meanwhile, Game Three of the Women’s State of Origin series is set for tonight.
What happened
After last year’s thrilling series decider in Brisbane, the Blues and Maroons met at the same battleground to open the 2025 series.
The 80 minutes that followed saw the Blues outplay the Maroons in almost every statistical category. They made fewer errors, conceded fewer penalties, completed more sets, and (crucially) scored more points. The final score was 18-6, with NSW scoring four tries to Queensland’s one.
In what looked to be a shift of momentum for the Maroons near the end of the first half, Brian To’o was sent to the sin bin for making contact with Xavier Coates in the air. However, the Maroons failed to take full advantage of the Blues missing a player for ten minutes.
Blues prop Payne Haas was named man of the match for a typically solid performance from the barnstorming Broncos star.
For the Blues, it’s the first time they have won three straight matches since 2006. It’s also the first time that they have won back-to-back matches at Lang Park in Brisbane.
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The next two matches of the series will be played in Perth on 18 June and Sydney on 9 July.
Women’s State of Origin
The State of Origin action continues tonight with the third and final match of the women’s series being played in Newcastle.
The Blues have already wrapped up the series after winning the first two matches in dominant fashion (32-12 and 26-6). However, there is plenty of pride on the line as the Maroons seek to avoid a historic whitewash.
NSW coach John Strange has named an unchanged side from the one fielded in the opening two matches. Meanwhile, Queensland coach Tahnee Norris has called upon two players to make their Origin debut, fullback Hayley Maddick and substitute half Georgia Hannaway. Maddick will start in place of star player Tamika Upton, who injured her hip in Game Two.
The Maroons will take confidence in the fact that they won last year’s match in Newcastle, with Lauren Brown slotting a field goal to help her side claim an 11-10 victory.
How to watch
You can watch Game Three of Women’s State of Origin on Channel 9. Kick-off is at 7:45pm.
