One of the Australian rugby league's premier spectacles is right around the corner, as the State of Origin 2023 Series is about to get underway.
The event takes place over the course of three games between Queensland and New South Wales, with games being held on a Wednesday night across the months of May, June, and July.
Queensland were the winners of last year's tournament and took home the shield in what was billed as one of the greatest contests to have been experienced in recent history. It was a nail-biting series and one that had many falling further in love with the sport and igniting the passion for the game for many who had watched it for the first time.
When will the 2023 State of Origin Series take place?
As mentioned, there will be three games to be played in this year's series, with one game being played per month between May and July, each being on a Wednesday night. The league has decided to no longer pursue a Sunday date as it had in the past.
The first game of the series will take place on May 31, 2023. It will be held at the Adelaide Oval in South Australia. This will be the only neutral venue for the series, and whoever wins this fixture could potentially end up being the winner, as they will have a game in front of a home crowd. Given that there is not an NRL team based in South Australia and not much interest in the sport, the game did attract over 25,000 fans in attendance the last time it was played in this city back in 2020.
The second game will be played on June 21, 2023, at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland. The final game will be hosted at the Accor Stadium in Sydney, New South Wales, and both teams will either want to go into the game as the champions already, or at least have the chance of winning the shield.
Who will win the 2023 State of Origin Series?
Queensland will come into this contest as the current holders, but will they be able to retain their title? Or, will New South Wales be able to get their hands on it?
According to the latest odds, it would seem the Blues are favoured to come out on top in this series and reclaim the shield they lost last year. Sportsbooks who offer rugby league betting odds have priced New South Wales at 16/25 favourites to be victorious, giving Queensland odds of 5/4 to retain their title.
Despite being the holders and the team to have won the competition the most times in its 41 full series (23 times), the Maroons are no longer the team that they once were. They dominated the event between 2006 and 2017 as they won each series bar the one that took place in 2014.
What makes New South Wales favourites?
Given how much the Maroons have dominated the series, it would only be natural to question why the Blues are the favourites to win the 2023 State of Origin.
One reason many are predicting they will, including the bookies, is the fact that they have a stronger side that is packed with quality. Players like Nathan Cleary and James Tedesco help showcase just how talented the New South Wales squad is.
Queensland are at a different stage at this moment, with its team full of emerging talent. Nonetheless, this should only make future series between these two teams even more exciting to watch and potentially even closer than some have been before!
What should we expect to see happen?
All eyes will be on the first fixture (Origin I) that will be played in Adelaide. As mentioned, both teams will want to be winning this one, but it could be argued that New South Wales will need it more than Queensland. This is because of the way the fixtures have been drawn.
A lot of what happens on the field will depend on squad health and the selection that each respective team coach decides to make. It should be a truly exciting occasion and one that NRL fans can't wait to experience!
