While the days of the ‘cattledog” cry are gone along with all out melees that halt play, this year’s State of Origin series has been tipped to have a bit more spark.
Under the NRL’s overhaul of the match review system, which has seen the grading protocols expanded to include fines for grade 1 and 2 offences, players are expected to test the limits in tonight’s opener at Accor Stadium.
The NRL released a statement ahead of game one confirming further changes to the judiciary code in the hopes penalties handed down during the representative games won’t handicap NRL teams.
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The adjustment will see more offences receive fines as opposed to suspensions during both State of Origin and NRL finals matches.
“Under the reforms, players competing in representative matches will receive fines for a greater range of grade one and two offences than in the NRL Telstra premiership,” the NRL said in a statement.
“Fines for offences will be calculated as a percentage portion of the player’s representative match payment, with each player holding a separate ‘representative judiciary record’ which resets each year.
“Additionally, the annual All-Stars fixture and other test matches will be formally recognised as representative matches under the Judiciary Code, permitting Players who have been selected, or can establish the likelihood of their selection, to serve suspensions in those matches,” the NRL said.
“The amendments will be effective from the start of the 2022 Ampol State of Origin Series.”
Watch State of Origin exclusively live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now.
When Payne Haas and Maroons forward Tino Fa’asuamaleaui threw punches at each other and found themselves sin-binned in game two of the 2020 series, both men were fined $700 – and that was under the old rules, which seldom led to player suspensions.
During media obligations in the lead up, players were asked if the new NRL edict means players can be more aggressive because there’s less chance they’ll be suspended for club games.
“You never want to lose money, do you?” NSW hooker Damien Cook said, before adding: “But some players would be happy to not miss a club game and pay their way out of it.”
2022 SERIES FIXTURE
Origin I: Wednesday, 8 June, kick-off time 8.10pm AEST (QLD, NSW, Victoria) – Accor Stadium, Sydney
Origin II: Sunday, 26 June, kick-off time 7.50pm AEST (QLD, NSW, Victoria) – Optus Stadium, Perth
Origin III: Wednesday, 13 July, kick-off time 8.10pm AEST (NSW, QLD, Victoria) – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
GAME I TICKETS
Tickets for game one and the entire series can be purchased via the NRL’s authorised ticketing partner, TICKETEK.
Game one tickets start from $45.00
HOW TO WATCH
Game one and the entire series will be live and exclusive on Nine.
Coverage for game one will start at 7pm (AEST) and wrap up with a post-game show until 11pm. You can also stream the match free on 9Now.
You can also follow the action with Wide World of Sports’ match centre as well as the live blog, featuring expert opinions and live reactions from Nine’s NRL commentators.
TEAMS FOR ORIGIN I
**Final teams will be confirmed one hour before kick-off
Blues: 1. James Tedesco 2. Brian To’o 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Jack Wighton 5. Daniel Tupou 6. Jarome Luai 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Payne Haas 9. Damien Cook 10. Junior Paulo 11. Cameron Murray 12. Tariq Sims 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Stephen Crichton 15. Liam Martin 16. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 17. Ryan Matterson 18. Nicho Hynes 19. Tyson Frizell 20. Jacob Saifiti 21. Joseph Suaalii 22. Apisai Koroisau
Coach: Brad Fittler
Click here for more news on squad selection
Maroons: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Selwyn Cobbo 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Dane Gagai 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 9. Ben Hunt 10. Josh Papali’i 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Felise Kaufusi 13. Reuben Cotter 14. Harry Grant 15. Lindsay Collins 16. Patrick Carrigan 17. Jeremiah Nanai 18. Thomas Dearden 19. Jai Arrow 20. Thomas Flegler 21. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 22. Murray Taulagi
Coach: Billy Slater
Click here for more news on squad selection
ORIGIN I MATCH OFFICIALS
Ashley Klein will be the chief referee on the field for the ninth time in his career.
The two touch judges are Phil Henderson and David Munro, while Grant Atkins will take charge as the lead Bunker official.
ODDS (courtesy of Sportsbet)
Origin I: Blues $1.60; Maroons $2.35
2021 STATE OF ORIGIN RESULTS
Origin I: NSW 50 d QLD 6
Origin II: NSW 26 d QLD 0
Origin III: QLD 20 d NSW 18
Series result: NSW 2-1
TALKING POINTS
The New South Wales Blues will once again head into the series opener as the favourites having won three of the past four Origin series under coach Brad Fittler.
But all signs point to this year’s series being one of the most competitive in recent times, with the Blues far from certainties to keep the dominance going.
Fittler’s side will take the field for game one without reigning Dally M Medal winner and centre Tom Trbojevic, who has been ruled out for the season with a shoulder injury, while opposite centre Latrell Mitchell is out for the series opener with a hamstring injury.
Those injuries will see debutant Kotoni Staggs and 2021 Dally M Medal winner Jack Wighton taking on the responsibility of filling the void in the centres.
While Wighton is a former Dally M winner at five-eighth, his effectiveness as an Origin centre continues to leave NRL pundits with question marks, after he and Eels fullback Clint Gutherson fell short of expectations in the Blues’ 2020 losing series filling those positions.
Meanwhile, it’s a new era for the Maroons under former star and new coach Billy Slater, who this year takes over from former Cowboys premiership winner Paul Green.
Slater has made sweeping changes to last year’s losing side.
The former Maroons fullback has named four debutants in jerseys 1-17, including Broncos pair Selwyn Cobbo and Patrick Carrigan, as well as Reuben Cotter and Jeremiah Nanai from the Cowboys.
Cobbo and Nanai, who are both aged 19, will make their Origin debuts with less than 20 NRL games under their belts.
The pair have been arguably the most exciting young stars of the competition this season.
Cobbo, who’s spent this year on the wing for the Broncos, has scored eight tries in his last four games.
Nanai, meanwhile, has been a try-scoring machine for the Cowboys with 10 through 12 appearances this year.
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