Rugby League: About the State of Origin Series
By
Will Brown
Contributor Updated: 22 October 2024
Will Brown Contributor
William Brown is a Content Writer with strong expertise in US and global gambling industry trends. Having covered the local sports betting market since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, William approaches his gambling guides with passion and diligence. He is a keen player of online slots, blackjack, and a regular sports bettor.
A Guide to the State of Origin
In Australia, rugby league fans in the states of Queensland and New South Wales get excited for a three-game showdown called the State of Origin. This series is closely watched and hotly contested, bringing state glory and bragging rights to one winner for a year. But what is the game exactly, and how popular is it? If you’re wondering about the State of Origin series and how it works, keep reading this guide to find a comprehensive overview.
Intro to Facts About the State of Origin
To begin this guide, we’ve looked at the State of Origin history, shedding light on interesting details such as how the series was conceptualized and its cultural significance. From there, we’ve broken down the structure and gameplay of the series.
In the latter part of this guide, we’ve covered some of the most memorable moments and successful players, before looking at the winnings stats of each team. To conclude, we’ve explored the impact of the series on local rugby league fans and the future of the event.
- State of Origin History
- The Event’s Structure
- Legendary Moments and Players
- The WInning Statistics
- State of Orgin’s Impact
- The Future of the Event
The State of Origin History
The first thing you need to know about the State of Origin series is that the game was originally borne out of necessity for even competition. The idea for the series was explored in the late 1970s when interstate rugby league competitions between Queensland and New South Wales became too unevenly matched and predictable.
This is because New South Wales had a much larger population and more professional clubs. These clubs had larger budgets than Queensland, so Queensland talent was often lured down to New South Wales clubs. The idea of State of Origin was that players would have to play for the state where they first played senior rugby league.
This differed from the previous rules that permitted players to play for the state that represented their current clubs. In 1980 and 1981, two matches under this previous model were held, and one under the new State of Origin rules. The first official State of Origin match was played at Lang Park in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1980.
Queensland emerged victorious with a 20-10 win, signaling an even playing field. The game was instantly successful, and in 1982, the interstate game was changed to represent the new selection criteria. The annual series would include three games and declare the best of three the winner.
This change revolutionized the competition and created an even deeper interstate rivalry, with games becoming far more intense and of higher quality. Now, millions of viewers around the country tune into these high-stakes events, with fierce loyalties dividing friends, family, and coworkers over three winter games.
If you ever find yourself in Australia, it’s important to know the colloquial names of the teams. The New South Wales teams are referred to as the “Blues” or the “Cockroaches”, the former related to their jersey color and the latter symbolizing a common pest in the state. Similarly, Queensland is referred to as the “Maroons” or the “Cane Toads.”
The Structure of the State of Origin
There are several unchangeable facts about the State of Origin and how it is played. The game has a best-of-three format that is played every year in the Winter months, with the first game usually in June and the final in July. Games alternate between Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium and Sydney’s Stadium Australia, though neutral ground Melbourne has hosted 10 games.
Each team contains some of the best players in the National Rugby League (NRL) provided their career originated in the participating states. Locals tend to consider the games more captivating than even international rugby league games, with the gameplay showcasing the pinnacle of strategy and talent.
The events are some of the most-watched in Australia, with 2024’s Game 3 making State of Origin history to reach more than five million viewers. This is significant considering Australia’s population of 26 million. Recent statistics suggest the series is growing in popularity too, with 2024 audiences up 15% year over year.
Many Australians also flock to bet on rugby league, with roughly 7% of annual betting revenue wagered on the NRL and State of Origin. This is significant considering Australians wager more than $50 billion per year on sports.
Legendary Moments and Players
For more than 40 years, the State of Origin has produced countless iconic moments that are treasured by fans in both states. Perhaps the most famous took place in 1994 when Queensland’s Mark Coyne scored what is often referred to as the “Miracle Try” with only a few seconds on the clock.
This was achieved after a series of breathtaking passes and secured a victory for the team. Only one year later, the Queensland Maroons, who were considered to be inexperienced and without hope, surprised commentators and fans when they beat the Blues in a sweep of victories.
Another was star player Wally “The King” Lewis’ 1989 performance, where he led Queensland to victory despite having a broken arm. These moments exhibit some of the unobjectionable facts about the State of Origin: the game is for the tough and is always unpredictable.
Wally Lewis is considered to be one of the best players of all time, and the Best Player of the Series award is named in his honor. Other star players for Queensland include Allan Langer and Johnathan Thurston, while New South Wales’ Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler, and Laurie Daley have undeniable legacies.
The Winning Stats
After 20 years of State of Origin history stats, the winning ratio for both teams was fairly close. However, there have been periods of dominance for both sides. For example, New South Wales won six out of the first seven series, but Queensland’s Wally Lewis led the team to even the playing field by the early 1990s.
The next ten years saw ebbs and flows for both teams that saw them evenly matched, but this changed when Queensland began to dominate the series in 2006. Not only did the state win a record eight series in a row between 2006 and 2013, but they won a further three in a row after New South Wales’ drought-breaking win in 2014.
Since 2018, the teams have been evenly matched again, with New South Wales the winner of the 2024 series. In total, Queensland players are the State of Origin historical winners, with 24 series titles against New South Wales’ 17 titles. The series has been drawn twice.
The Impact of the Event
One thing that may be hard to grasp about the State of Origin series from non-locals is just how significant the event is in Australia. The game inspires an intense rivalry between the states, with the lead-up to the games seeing people at schools and workplaces wear their team colors.
The games generate millions of dollars for the host cities through tourism and hospitality and live audiences reach the stadiums’ capacities of up to 90,000 people. Recent figures put the economic impact of the State of Origin to be $100 million per year, which is significant when considering the entire NRL season generates around $500 million per year.
The State of Origin also serves to maintain interest in the NRL, with the teams featuring some of the best players from the league. Of course, it also strengthens the fabric of the league, with some players being fierce league rivals for one week only to be loyal allies the following.
The Future of the State of Origin
With the State of Origin surpassing its 42nd year, it is showing no signs of growing tired. Every year, the events grow in popularity in both domestic and international markets, with global appeal fanned by the rise of sports betting. But what does the future of the sport look like?
Like many other sports around the world, there is a growing interest in the Women’s State of Origin, with the first of these events held in 2018. Currently, Queensland holds four Women’s titles and three New South Wales titles, indicating a close competition. In 2024, the series held three games for the first time.
There is also the question of whether the state of Victoria could be added to the competition. While the state is home to the Australian Football League (AFL), the games held in Melbourne attract record audiences, and there is growing local interest in the sport. For now, Melbourne’s talent is still lacking in numbers by comparison, but this could change.
What is clear about the State of Origin series is that it will remain a fixture in Australia’s sporting calendar for decades to come. There’s never been a better time to start keeping track of it.
