The 2025 State of Origin series is tied at 1-1 and will be decided tonight in Sydney, as the NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons face off in Game 3.
Here’s what you need to know before kick-off at 8:05pm (AEST).
Game three
The Blues have been the favourites all series.
Despite a lacklustre performance in game one, they still won 18-6 on Queensland’s home turf.
In game two, the Maroons scored four tries in the first half before the Blues came back in the second, only to lose 26-24.
The Blues will once again head into tonight’s match as favourites despite the result in game two.
Maroons captain Cameron Munster departed Queensland camp after the death of his father on the weekend.
Munster has decided to play the game three.
Coach Billy Slater said: “The one thing he was certain about is he was playing on Wednesday night.”
History
The Blues won last year’s series in a decider at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
If they win tonight’s match, it will be the first time the side has won two consecutive series since 2019.
The Maroons have not won a decider in Sydney since 2013, while the Blues have only ever won two deciders on their home turf.
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Perhaps the more dooming statistic for the Maroons is that they have never won two games away from home to clinch the series after losing the first match.
Blues lineup
Blues coach Laurie Daley named an unchanged lineup from the one that lost 26-24 to the Maroons in game two.
Winger Brian To’o and prop Payne Haas have both been cleared to play despite injury concerns in the lead-up to the match.
Meanwhile, Canterbury winger Jacob Kiraz has been named as the 18th man.
Maroons lineup
Maroons coach Billy Slater made two changes to his starting lineup.
The Brisbane Broncos’ Gehamat Shibasaki will start in the centres after earning his first Origin call-up.
The 26-year-old debuted in 2018 and has only played 45 matches in the NRL, but has had a stellar season with the Broncos, scoring 12 tries in 15 matches.
Shibasaki is being brought in after fullback Kalyn Ponga was ruled out with a foot injury.
Veteran prop Josh Papali’i has also been recalled to the side after retiring from representative football in 2022.
It will be Papali’i’s 24th appearance for the Maroons.
The 33-year-old has played an important role as an impact player for the top-of-the-table Canberra Raiders this season.
