State of Origin Game 1

New South Wales vs Queensland
This year’s Origin series embarks the end of the greatest era in the brutal series history. Queensland have won 11 of the last 12 series but will be out to do it without legends Cam Smith, Jonathon Thurston, Cooper Cronk and possibly Billy Slater (missing game 1 at least). New South Wales have picked a red-hot team that appears to be in a lot more form on paper. The likes Cleary, Cook, Frizell and the Trbojevic brothers are all in career best form and have been the standouts in the first half of the competition.
Queensland will look to proven Origin performers in Inglis, Munster, Gagai and Cooper to lead the way in the game’s most intense area. On the other hand New South Wales will carry 11 debutants into Game 1. Form a side, it will be the ability of these players to cope with the often crippling speed and pressure that will decide the outcome of this one.
The neutral venue of the Melbourne Cricket Ground makes this one even tougher to predict but leaning towards the experience of the Queenslanders here.
Tip: Queensland by 4.
First Try Scorer: Nathan Cleary ($29

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