Interstate Origin first game live: All the latest updates and scores for NSW vs Queensland

The song only finished a few minutes ago, but social media has already been flooded with tweets like the following after Dylan Wright put his own unique spin on Go Australia Fair…

Reece Walsh was knocked to the ground after a tough but unremarkable opening performance.

Savannah Fynn performed the welcome ceremony – and despite being in a Blues uniform, she ended the ceremony with a very tactful “May the best team win.”

Dylan Wright gave a very low-key country take on the national anthem.

There was one telltale sign among the Blues’ lineup — Spencer Leniu was the only player who didn’t extend his arms toward his teammates.

“It’s about 300 meters,” said Phil Gould as the team filed onto the field.

This is exactly the kind of insight we like.

More than 1,300 Blues fans suffered a power outage at the worst possible time, with the lights going out just as fans began to enter the stadium tonight, and the power not coming back on until long after the game had ended.

Selwyn Cobbo’s inclusion on the bench was a surprise not only to the fans but also to Origin greats like Fatty Vautin who just spoke to Slater on Nine.

Some pundits feared the spot on the bench was being wasted, with New South Wales left with just the forwards – but Slater has just confirmed that Cobo will play tonight whether or not he needs to fill in at the back.

For those of you who keep saying “bring back Smash”, here’s a clip – this is one of the greatest Origin Smash games ever.

There hasn’t been a boxing match in an Origin game since Paul Gallen knocked out Nate Myles in 2013 – and while you can’t rule out the possibility of someone losing their mind and throwing a punch in the heat of the moment, there’s no way we’re facing this kind of sustained mayhem.

Last year, the Panthers star shocked fans by posting “Calm down you idiots all have work tomorrow morning” after losing the series to New South Wales.

He admitted he was “not proud” of his outburst on Instagram – and has taken on more of a leadership role within the team this time around.

Munster is arguably the Maroons’ most in-form player, but he has just told Nine that he will be eight to 10 weeks away from returning to action – so barring a miracle, the Storm player will be out of action for Origin in 2024.

Jake Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans are the first pair of club team-mates to captain both New South Wales and Queensland since Roosters stars Brad Fittler and Adrian Lam 24 years ago.

There were no last-minute changes in Queensland and New South Wales…

1. Reece Walsh 2. Xavier Coates 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Hamiso Tabuei-Fedo 5. Murray Tauragi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Daley Cherry-Evans (captain) 8. Reuben Cote 9. Ben Hunter 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Jaden Sua 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Patrick Carrigan 14. Harry Grant 15. Moaki Futuaika 16. Jermaine Hopgood 17. Selwyn Cobb

1. James Tedesco 2. Brian To’o 3. Stephen Clayton 4. Joseph Suari 5. Zach Lomax 6. Jarome Ruai 7. Nico Hines 8. Jack Trbojevic (c) 9. Reece Robson 10. Payne Haas 11. Liam Martin Angus Clayton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Isaiah Young 15. Haumole Olaukaoattu 16. Spencer Lenew 17. Hudson Young

The most successful Blues coach of all time has predicted New South Wales will win – but judging by his lead, he’s not too confident.

It proved worth arriving early for a seat – and not just because there was hardly any queue for beer.

Below is Blues rookie Zac Lomax taking a selfie with some lucky Blues die-hard fans – judging by the fan sign on the far right, they’re probably from his hometown of Temora.

No, not Phil Gould and Anthony Field from the Wiggles, they’re all blues. They’re not even trying to be impartial here.

Let’s be honest, it’s just not the same without Labus behind the mic. Not even close. Today’s commentators – whether you watch Nine or Fox – just can’t compare.

Now, he himself has opened up about whether he will do football fans a favour by officiating at a New South Wales-Queensland game for the first time since 2021…

Raising the stakes on matchday has become a tradition at Origin, and this year, instead of the loser having to fly another state’s flag on a landmark, it’s up to Chris Minns to decide whether to do something a little more personal and embarrassing to his opponent.

Brian Fletcher reached out to a few of the New South Wales stars to take an in-depth look at the tactics the team will use tonight… and it wasn’t to be.

Unlike the Maroons, who have Selwyn Cobbo to cover injuries in the backline, the Blues have only strong players on the bench – but if disaster strikes, Raiders back-rower Hudson Young has confirmed he will fill the void by moving to centre.

New South Wales have named an all-forward team and all signs point to them adopting the power-play style favoured by Michael Maguire tonight – so they will be doing a rain dance in the shed, hoping the slippery surface will make the game more exciting and help to blunt Queensland’s speed advantage at the back.

The current weather forecast predicts a 90% chance of rain, but as I write this, there is no rain near the AccorHotels Stadium.

Webber last played for the Maroons nearly 20 years ago, helping to kick-start their era of dominance, and he still has a big influence on the way Queensland play – and as Reuben Cotter reveals, he faces a tough task tonight against New South Wales.

With Nathan Cleary injured, the Blues fielded an untested halves combination – but as you can see, Hines and Luai are no strangers on the football field, having played together in their youth.

Thanks for watching our live coverage of all the games as the Blues attempt to avenge last year’s 2-1 series defeat to the Cane Toads, while Michael Maguire will make his Origin managerial debut against Maroons maestro Billy Slater.

From team news to the latest scores, controversies and social media reactions, we’ll have you covered as the Cockroaches find themselves in an unusually underdog position.