Rugby League

Everything is still to play for in Game 3 of the 2017 State of Origin series, with the New South Wales Blues and Queensland Maroons tied on one win apiece entering the deciding fixture.

The two teams will come back to Brisbane, Australia, on Wednesday, and the Blues make their return to Suncorp Stadium—the scene of their record 28-4 win in Game 1—hoping to replicate their previous form on enemy soil.

It's little coincidence Queensland fought back to parity in the series after witnessing the return of 12-year Origin veteran Johnathan Thurston, who struck a 78th-minute conversion to seal a slim 18-16 win for the Maroons.

However, the five-eighth has been denied playing a role in Game 3, in what would have been his last representative match before the North Queensland Cowboys icon heads for retirement, due to a shoulder injury.

Read on for a preview of Wednesday's decider in one of rugby's fiercest rivalries, complete with viewing information, key match details and discussion of which star players to keep an eye on.

      

Date: Wednesday, July 12

Time: 11 a.m. BST/8 p.m. AEST/6 a.m. ET

Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Live Stream: Premier Sports (UK), Fox Soccer 2 Go (U.S.), Fox Sports (AUS)

        

Preview

In what was to be his last-ever outing in a State of Origin series, Thurston will be a sore miss against longtime rivals New South Wales, a foe he's defeated in 10 of the 12 series in which he's competed prior to 2017.

The 34-year-old missed Game 1 of this year's three-parter due to a shoulder injury before playing a match-winning role in the return at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, kicking in the dying minutes to seal a two-point victory.

It was a script befitting a player of Thurston's grand status in the sport, and the National Rugby League paid tribute to one of league's greatest patrons in the build-up to this year's decider:

Johnathan Thurston - the ultimate #Origin tribute 😢#NRL pic.twitter.com/RmO4W4pU2z

— NRL (@NRL) July 10, 2017

Only Cameron Smith (41) has made more State of Origin appearances than Thurston (37), although the latter still holds the competition's all-time record for points scored on 238.

It's easy to ascertain the X-factor Thurston would have brought to Queensland given his status as a game-changer, and the manner in which he spoke about his Game 1 absence gives a sense of what his Game 3 absence means to the player, per Fox Sports:

"I was up in the box with the coaching staff for game one. It is quite a view from there. You can see everything unfolding.

"It was difficult to watch and not be part of the game but it does give you an appreciation of what goes on, and dissecting a game plan and executing it."

As fate would have it, Brisbane Broncos starlet Anthony Milford, the man who replaced Thurston in Game 1, has since needed shoulder surgery, meaning Melbourne Storm's Cameron Munster will start on Wednesday.

It's a pressure cauldron to be making one's State of Origin debut in, and the Blues may well target him just to the fringes of the breakdown as they seek to exploit any weakness they can get their hands on.

But NSW have some aces of their own, one of whom is prop Andrew Fifita, who provided a spearhead presence in Game 1 and has been backed to do so again by team-mate Aaron Woods, per the team's official Twitter account:

Andrew Fifita is primed for another big showing, according to his starting front-row partner.#uptheblues

🎥 https://t.co/MI92iwdR7d pic.twitter.com/Hq3Ql79iow

— NSWBlues (@NSWBlues) July 6, 2017

Blues captain Boyd Cordner faces a mighty task in lifting his men to victory in Brisbane when momentum is running in favour of the Maroons following their second-half comeback in Sydney last month. That being said, the loss of Thurston since then is a hammer blow to Queensland in kind.

A failure to score any points in the second period during that defeat suggested complacency may be a concern for New South Wales, who will hope to have any such concerns out of their system when they travel back behind enemy lines.

The Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm may be at the top of NRL Premiership markets, but the impact of State of Origin III means both go into their Round 18 matches as underdogs, according to AustralianGambling.com.au.

The Roosters host South Sydney on Friday night at Allianz Stadium having dealt with the same opposition 10-6 when they last met in Round 4.

But the oddsmakers have the Rabbitohs, who are 11th in the table, as $1.60 AUD betting favourites with the Roosters $2.37 with a four-point head start.

The reason is straightforward as the Roosters are without Mitchell Pearce, Boyd Cordner, Blake Ferguson and Dylan Napa, all of whom are on Origin duty. Souths don't have a single player on duty and have an excellent opportunity to get a big scalp here.

It's a similar story for eighth-placed Parramatta, who travel to Melbourne to face the Storm with pretty much a full-strength outfit. The Eels, who have won just one of four matches at AAMI Park, and just one of their past five against the Storm, are $1.58 to win this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di-Yy_avXMI

Punters are avoiding the Storm given they have their best six players in the Queensland squad and they are out to $2.40 with a 4.5-point line in their favour.

A win in this one would be massive for the Eels, who can pull clear of the fight for the final spots in the eight and notch their fourth win in their past five matches.

Manly Sea Eagles are one of the form teams in the competition having won five matches in a row to surge to third but are only $1.91 equal favourites against Penrith, who have dropped their past two.

The absence of Jake Trbojevic, who is with NSW, is a factor in this market, whereas the Panthers, who are in ninth, go into this one virtually at full strength.

The Panthers have won just two of five matches at Pepper Stadium this season, but this is their first match at the ground in two months. The Sea Eagles haven't won there in six years.

In the weekend's final match, and the only Sunday fixture, Canterbury are $1.42 favourites against bottom-of-the-table Newcastle Knights ($2.90) at Belmore.

The Dogs may be languishing in 13th, but the Knights look unlikely to win another game this season having been thrashed by fellow cellar-dwellers Wests Tigers 33-12 last week.

The Knights haven't played at Belmore since 1996 and haven't won there since 1992.

After being stunned by a golden-point loss to the second-place Sydney Roosters last week, Premiership favourites Melbourne Storm face another difficult task on Friday when they travel to take on a Brisbane Broncos side looking to rediscover their momentum.

The Broncos endured a major form hiccup over the early Origin period, losing back-to-back matches before recovering with a narrow win over South Sydney last week.

They sit third on the ladder, just four points adrift of top-placed Melbourne, and they can close the gap to two with a win at odds of $2.20 AUD in this match.

The Broncos' prospects are helped by the fact Melbourne are likely to be without skipper Cameron Smith. However, the Storm do get back Origin trio Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Will Chambers. They have won their past six matches against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium and are $1.68 to make it seven straight on Friday, according to AustralianGambling.com.au.

The round kicks off on Thursday night with Parramatta, who have edged into the eight after last week's win over the Dragons, taking on the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.

The Dogs possess the worst offence in the NRL and have slumped to 13th after a loss to the Warriors last week. They desperately need a win, but the market has them as $2.80 outsiders, with the Eels at $1.45 to record their third straight win over their Western Sydney rivals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkeI90q8bFI

It's a measure of how far St George Illawarra have fallen that they aren't a clear favourite against the Gold Coast Titans in Friday's other match. Having won six of their first seven games of the season, the Dragons have now lost five of their past seven, including their past two against the Bulldogs and the Eels.

The oddsmakers have them as $1.91 equal favourites with the Titans, who have dropped four in a row to slip to 14th. Remarkably Gold Coast's most recent win was against the Melbourne Storm.

The other two teams to have beaten the Storm this year, the Sydney Roosters and the Cronulla Sharks, meet at Central Coast Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

This one will have a real spice in it with second playing fifth. The Roosters have lost their past five matches to the Sharks, but they are $1.72 to break that drought here. Cronulla have lost their last two, including a 35-18 flogging by the Sea Eagles last week, and are $2.15 outsiders with the line at just two points.

Manly have won four on the bounce to surge into the top four and are well-fancied at $1.46 to beat the New Zealand Warriors ($2.75) in Perth on Saturday afternoon.

The Canberra Raiders, meanwhile, have lost three in a row, but they are still given a chance to make the finals despite slipping to 11th.

They host the seventh-placed Cowboys on Saturday night, but they will go into the match as $1.53 favourites given they have home advantage and the Cowboys ($2.55) are without Johnathan Thurston for the rest of the season.

Sunday's games see the Newcastle Knights with an excellent chance to capture just their third win for the season when they host the bottom-place Wests Tigers. The Knights haven't started as a favourite in a game since 2015, but they are $1.80 here with the struggling Tigers at $2.04.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Penrith Panthers sit in a glut of teams just outside the eight and meet at ANZ Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Penrith are $1.65 favourites, with the Rabbitohs given some chance at $2.26.

The battle of the top two teams, Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Roosters, is the highlight of a tricky NRL Round 16 for bettors with six of the seven games having a line of less than a converted try, according to AustralianGambling.com.au.

Melbourne, minus their Origin stars, overcame a major scare last week when they needed a field goal in golden-point extra-time to defeat the North Queensland Cowboys.

They remain four points clear on top of the table, but the Roosters can close the gap to just two points with a win in this match, which will be held at Adelaide Oval.

The market has the Storm, who have won their past three matches against the Roosters, at $1.75 AUD, with the "home" side at $2.10, and a line of just two points.

That market could change depending on how many players back up from Origin 2. The Storm have five players involved there, while the Roosters have four.

Third-placed Cronulla Sharks have won five of their past six matches and are favored to continue in that vein when they face Manly Sea Eagles on Sunday afternoon at Shark Park.

The Sharks are $1.61 to prevail, but do not have a good record against the Sea Eagles having lost 13 of their past 15 against them. Manly, currently fifth and four points adrift of the reigning premiers, are $2.35 to cause the upset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dldkxFQxM1A

The round kicks off Friday night in Auckland when the New Zealand Warriors host the Canterbury Bulldogs. Currently 11th and 12th, respectively, on the ladder, these two teams are just two points out of the eight. The Warriors are $1.51 favorites having won five of seven matches at home this season, with the Bulldogs at $2.60.

The Wests Tigers can get off the bottom of the ladder if they can overturn odds of $2.20 to defeat Gold Coast Titans ($1.68) when they host them at Campbelltown on Friday night.

The Saturday afternoon matches between North Queensland Cowboys ($1.60) and Penrith Panthers ($2.38) and the Canberra Raiders ($1.66) and the Brisbane Broncos ($2.25) are both expected to be close.

The Cowboys and the Panthers are separated by just one spot on the ladder with the Cowboys favored because the match is in Townsville and they are likely to have Johnathan Thurston back for what will be his 300th game.

The market in the Raiders vs. Broncos match is another that is likely to be impacted by who backs up for Origin. The Broncos have win their past four matches against Canberra but are outsiders here.

The most lopsided match of the round sees St George Illawarra Dragons, who have lost five of their past seven, $1.20 picks to knock off Newcastle Knights, who are $4.65 on Sunday afternoon.

Dane Gagai led Queensland Maroons to a comeback win in Game 2 of the 2017 State of Origin against New South Wales Blues, scoring two tries to help the Maroons to an 18-16 victory and force a decider. 

Queensland took the lead through Valentine Holmes early, but the Blues dominated the rest of the first half. Jarryd Payne, Brett Morris and Mitchell Pearce all scored, giving their team a 16-6 advantage at the half.

Gagai brought his team back to within four points after the break, and he added a second try in the final minutes to set up a decisive Game 3. 

The NRL's official Twitter account shared the squads that would start Game 2:

Final teams are IN! #Origin pic.twitter.com/tYsOb8I4WW

— NRL (@NRL) June 21, 2017

They also added this statistic, giving the visiting fans some hope:

The @QLDmaroons have recovered from a 1-0 deficit to win the series on 5 occasions #Origin pic.twitter.com/PTInUZcPOH

— NRL (@NRL) June 21, 2017

NSW were clearly eager to put on another show in Game 2, as evidenced by a bone-crunching tackle from Aaron Woods just minutes into the contest. The first try was scored by the visitors, however, with Holmes diving over in the corner and replays providing insufficient evidence to overturn.

Here's a look at the controversial score, via NRL Bunker:

Vision of the @QLDmaroons Try decision in the 8th minute of #Origin II.#NRL pic.twitter.com/UENopBI29u

— NRL Bunker (@NRLBunker) June 21, 2017

Johnathan Thurston converted from a tough angle to make the score 6-0.

Queensland's advantage didn't last long, however. The Blues put together a fine attacking move, ending with Hayne using his strength to score on the left wing. The try tied Michael O'Connor's all-time mark for scores in State of Origin history by a Blues player, at 11. James Maloney mirrored Thurston's kick, tying things up.

A surging run from Maloney set up the hosts' second try, as he beat several defenders before tossing a simple pass to Morris after 24 minutes. Here's a look at the spectacular score:

He just keeps getting through the line!@jim_jim86 gets through and sets up @bmozzle.#Origin#NRL pic.twitter.com/oi9ya37yEl

— NRL (@NRL) June 21, 2017

And momentum remained with the Blues, who scored a similar try just minutes later, with Pearce the recipient of another easy pass. A successful conversion gave NSW a double-digit lead.

Hayne could have added to the tally but refused to pass and was pushed into touch, with Gagai returning in time. Josh Dugan and Jake Trbojevic made crucial stops to preserve the lead at half-time.

During the half, former football player Ned Zelic couldn't help himself:

https://twitter.com/NedZelic/status/877480031647395842

The Blues did a fine job controlling the pace early in the second half, but a try from Gagai and conversion from Thurston cut the deficit to just four points, with plenty of time left on the clock.

NSW didn't allow the setback to mess with their momentum, however, and kept building fine attacking moves as the half wore on. 

But Queensland started to press entering the final stages, and it took a monstrous run from Dugan to relieve the pressure. Here's a look at the impressive dash:

What an effort from @Josh_Dugan!#Origin#NRL pic.twitter.com/t03pUJtqVU

— NRL (@NRL) June 21, 2017

The match came down to the final minutes, with Gagai scoring after an offload on the right wing. Queensland needed the conversion from Thurston to take the lead, and he delivered from a very tricky angle, winning his side the match.

The 2017 State of Origin will be decided at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Wednesday, July 12. Queensland have won 10 of the last 11 series.

New South Wales Blues are one victory away from winning the State of Origin series for just the second time in 12 years and face off with the Queensland Maroons in Game 2 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday.

The Blues thrashed the Maroons 28-4 in Game 1 at Suncorp Stadium on May 31 and now have the chance to seal a first State of Origin win since 2014 on home soil.

Per News.com.au, the Maroons are likely to be boosted by the return of playmaker Johnathan Thurston, who missed Game 1 with a shoulder injury but is "a definite starter" for Wednesday, according to skipper Cameron Smith.

Read on for a preview of the crucial encounter, along with scheduling and viewing details.

      

Date: Wednesday, June 21

Time: 11 a.m. BST/8 p.m. AEST/6 a.m. ET

Live Stream: Premier Sports (UK), Fox Soccer 2 Go (U.S.), Fox Sports (AUS)

       

Preview

Maroons coach Kevin Walters has overhauled his side for Game 2 as he looks to mastermind a comeback victory in the series and extend Queensland's winning run to three in a row.

Along with Thurston, Billy Slater and Gavin Cooper also return to the side, while Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday, Jacob Lillyman, Corey Oates, Aidan Guerra and Justin O’Neill are all dropped, and Anthony Milford is injured.

Valentine Holmes, Coen Hess, Tim Glasby and Jarrod Wallace have all been handed debuts, per NRL:

Glasby, Hess, Holmes & Wallace all selected to make their #Origin debuts with Slater, Thurston & Cooper all back for Game 2.#NRL pic.twitter.com/Abb74adrpB

— NRL (@NRL) June 12, 2017

In contrast, NSW will play with the same side that were so emphatic in winning Game 1:

Do these guys look familiar? 😉

Your NSW VB Blues for #Origin II, 2017.#uptheblues pic.twitter.com/wtDGFZI5oi

— NSWBlues (@NSWBlues) June 13, 2017

It is the first time the Blues have named an unchanged State of Origin side in 21 years, and coach Laurie Daley said he was delighted to be able to pick the same players, per Matt Encarnacion of the Australian Associated Press (h/t Stuff.co.nz):

"It's great to be able to name the same 17 guys again. They did such a great job in game one. But the key for us is to try and repeat that performance."

A repeat of the hammering the Blues handed out in Game 1 is unlikely.

Per Sporting Life's Ian Millward, the Maroons' squad for Game 2 looks much better equipped to deal with the Blues and Thurston's return could prove crucial in a potentially tight encounter.

Certainly NSW are likely to have to work harder to earn scores than they did at the end of May as the Maroons now boast a potent blend of youth and experience.

Nerves could play a crucial role on Wednesday. The Blues have largely been starved of State of Origin triumphs for over a decade.

Their 2014 victory marked a first shield win since 2005, so they will desperate to convert their Game 1 triumph into a series win, and they will want to get it done sooner rather than later.

Should the Maroons take an early lead and show that they will not be bullied as they were in Game 1, the tension inside Sydney's ANZ Stadium will ratchet up and could have a major influence on the outcome of the match.

Round 15 of the National Rugby League season may just feature four matches, but three of the top four teams will be in action, making for plenty of interest.

With State of Origin Game 2 to be staged in Sydney next Wednesday, some of the big sides will go into this weekend's matches understrength.

Top-placed Melbourne Storm host the North Queensland Cowboys on Saturday evening in Melbourne and will be without five of their best players, who are on Origin duty. The absentees include Billy Slater, who was called up to Queensland after his surprise Game 1 omission, and young forward Tim Glasby, who will make his Origin debut.

Of course, North Queensland will be without their main man in Johnathan Thurston—something they've become accustomed to this year as he has battled injury—as well as Michael Morgan, Coen Hess and Gavin Cooper.

It would appear on paper that both sides have been equally impacted by the absence of key players and hence the 11-2 Storm are $1.65 AUD favourites over the 8-5 Cowboys, who are $2.28, according to AustralianGambling.com.au.

The Cowboys' last two trips to play in Melbourne have been for finals, with the Storm having the edge last year, while the Cowboys won in 2015.

With the Roosters on a bye, the Storm can't lose top spot, but they will be keen to preserve their four-point advantage on top.

Third-placed Cronulla were outclassed 18-13 by the Storm last weekend and will be looking to get their premiership defence back on track when they host the Wests Tigers at Shark Park later on Saturday night.

But the Sharks are badly impacted by Origin, with Andrew Fifita, James Maloney, Wade Graham, Jack Bird and Valentine Holmes all unavailable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFl_2tnXaUs

The Tigers are missing their two best players in Aaron Woods and James Tadesco, and they are afforded little chance of causing the upset here. The market has them at $4.05, with the understrength Sharks seemingly under the odds at $1.25, considering the firepower they are missing.

The round opener on Friday night sees South Sydney looking to end their poor run of home form against fellow strugglers the Gold Coast Titans.

The Rabbitohs, unaffected by Origin, have lost all six home games this season, but are $1.34 to leap above the Titans on the table with a win here. The Titans, who lose Jarryd Hayne, Nathan Peats and Jarrod Wallace to rep duty, are $3.30.

The final game of the round, to be played Sunday afternoon, looms as an important one for St George Illawarra, who travel to ANZ Stadium to face the Parramatta Eels. Just four points separate the fourth-placed Dragons and ninth-placed Eels, who are 7-7.

Both teams are coming off bad losses last week, and while the current ladder favours the Dragons, the market is tipped in favour of the Eels, who are $1.72, with the Dragons at $2.15.

The Dragons have lost their past five matches against the Eels, including their Round 2 match in Wollongong 34-16.

The scene is set for one of the toughest betting rounds in the NRL in recent memory with four of the eight games in Round 14 having a line of 2.5 or less.

Two games, Cronulla vs. Melbourne Storm and Parramatta vs. North Queensland, have equal favourites, while Penrith are slight favourites in their clash with Canberra, and Gold Coast Titans just hold the edge in their clash with the New Zealand Warriors.

It's fair to say that given those clashes, the NRL ladder could look very different by Monday night. However, the top team is unlikely to change regardless of whether the second-place Sharks defeat the Storm in their clash Thursday night.

The Storm are a game clear and would need a larger than 14-point defeat at Southern Cross Group Stadium to concede the top spot. The Sharks have won three of the past four against the Storm, including of course last year's Grand Final, but they haven't beaten the Storm by that sort of margin in 12 years.

The Storm do get back Cameron Smith after he was rested following Origin duty, and that is one of the key reasons why they are considered equal favourites for this match, according to AustralianGambling.com.au. They will need a much better performance than when they were beaten 11-2 by the Sharks two months ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIIPpPZVy7A

Both Friday night matches are expected to be fairly clear cut. Sixth-placed Manly are set at $1.20 AUD to beat the bottom-placed Newcastle Knights ($4.65) at Brookvale. The Knights have lost their past six to the Sea Eagles by an average of 18.5 points and haven't won at Brooky since 2006.

The Brisbane Broncos endured a difficult first Origin period, losing both their games either side of Origin 1 to slip to fifth on the table. They are expected ($1.22) to bounce back and be far too good for South Sydney, who are $4.40 at Suncorp Stadium.  

Both Gold Coast and New Zealand are battling for relevance as the season wears on, and Saturday's game at Cbus Super Stadium is a crucial test for both sides. The Titans are $1.72 favourites against the Warriors, who are winless outside of New Zealand this year and are $2.15 to get the points here for just the second time in their past 11 trips to the Glitter Strip.

Penrith, currently 10th, can stake a claim for the top eight when they host ninth-placed Canberra Raiders at Carrington Park in Bathurst on Saturday. Just one point separated the teams when they met at this ground last year, and the oddsmakers are predicting a similarly tight contest here with the Panthers at $1.82 and the Raiders at $2.

Parramatta and North Queensland are also taking the NRL show on the road with a match at TIO Stadium in Darwin. The Eels are 3-0 when playing in the Top End and sit just one spot behind the Cowboys in eighth place. The oddsmakers can't pick a favourite, with both at $1.91, but that will likely tip in the Eels' favour when it is confirmed Johnathan Thurston won't play for the Cowboys as he battled to be fit ahead of Origin 2.

Sunday's two games see the Sydney Roosters as the $1.20 betting favourite over the Wests Tigers ($4.40) in their match at Campbelltown, a venue where the eastern suburbs team haven't played since 2010.

The round concludes with a Monday afternoon match for the Queen's Birthday at ANZ Stadium, with St George Illawarra a $1.48 pick to beat the Canterbury Bulldogs, who are $2.70.

The Brisbane Broncos will hope to have their six State of Origin players back for Saturday's crucial clash with the Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium, Sydney.

The Broncos did not fare well without their six best players last week against the Warriors, dropping crucial points in their battle for a top-four spot. Similarly, the Roosters were without five of their best 13, and went down to the Canberra Raiders.

With just three days between Origin 1 and this match, the race will be on to get those 11 players freshened up in time to play here.

Understandably, punters are nervous to invest until they know who will play, and as it stands the Roosters, fifth, are $1.65 AUD favourites, with the Broncos (fourth) the $2.18 outsiders, according to AustralianGambling.com.au. That could change dramatically depending on selection on the day.

Melbourne Storm Origin trio Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Will Chambers have less than 48 hours to recover ahead of their side's home clash against bottom-of-the table Newcastle Knights on Friday.

At least the Storm have a relatively easy match confronting them with the Knights having won just twice in their past 29 matches. The oddsmakers have the Storm as the shortest priced team of the round at $1.14 with the Knights at $5.85 with a 16-point head start at the line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tMZSKCOYIA

The two Sunday matches are expected to be anything but one-sided, with the market unable to separate Manly and Canberra when they meet at Lottoland. Both teams have six wins for the season and are $1.91 for the win.

Further down the ladder, Canterbury and Penrith will be desperate to secure some points when they meet at ANZ Stadium. The Panthers, 10th, are $1.80 betting favourites with the Bulldogs, one spot below them, at $2.04. They are both two points shy of a spot in the finals.

The winner of that match would vault past Parramatta (ninth) should the Eels fail to deal with the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night.

The oddsmakers have Parramatta as $1.66 favourites, but they have lost four of their past five against the Warriors ($2.25), including a 22-10 defeat to them in Round 6. But the Warriors are 0-5 on the road this year.

St George Illawarra snapped a three-match losing streak by beating the Warriors last time out. They are $1.30 to beat the Wests Tigers ($3.60) on Saturday and cement their spot in the top four.

With just four points separating sixth from 13th, the pressure is on the seventh-placed North Queensland Cowboys to get the job done when they host the Gold Coast Titans (12th) on Saturday night.

The Cowboys have won four straight against their Queensland rivals and go into this one as $1.48 favourites, with the Titans $2.70 outsiders having not won in Townsville since 2012.

New South Wales Blues have taken the upper hand in the 2017 State of Origin series after running rampant en route to a 28-4 win over bitter rivals Queensland Maroons at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday. 

James Maloney scored early to set the Blues on the path to victory, and Mitchell Pearce extended their lead before half-time, but tries from James Tedesco, Andrew Fifita and Jarryd Hayne opened the floodgates in the second period, per the National Rugby League:

NSW WIN!#Origin pic.twitter.com/pV3a81hp9e

— NRL (@NRL) May 31, 2017

Corey Oates grabbed Queensland's only try of the game in what was a one-sided defeat for the reigning State of Origin champions, who now face a fight to respond to this loss in Game 2.

The two teams will recommence this year's three-part war at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on Wednesday, June 21, when NSW will be looking to consolidate their first State of Origin win since 2014 on home soil.

With Queensland superstar Johnathan Thurston absent from Wednesday's clash due to a shoulder injury, the Blues knew this would be a rare chance to face the Maroons without their constant staple of the past decade and more.

Anthony Milford, 22, started at five-eighth and immediately felt the pressure when Fifita flew through enemy lines almost unopposed to slide in for Game 1's opening score, via the official National Rugby League Twitter account:

Big @andrewfifita up the middle.@jim_jim86 backs up to score!#Origin#NRL pic.twitter.com/dAxqCBt8ZP

— NRL (@NRL) May 31, 2017

Queensland bided their time and got on the board when Oates collected Cooper Cronk's inch-perfect kick before bundling over, and Fox Sports host Warren Smith was in awe of the creation, as opposed to the finish:

Why bend it like Beckham when you can kick it like Cronk!?! #Origin

— Warren Smith (@WarrenSmithFOX) May 31, 2017

The Maroons' ecstasy didn't last long, though, and after clawing back to 6-4, Pearce showed support nous to get on the end of Fifita's rampage down the left. Maloney, who converted four of his team's five tries on the day, gave a hopeful prediction of things to come as NSW went in 12-4 leaders at the break, via Wide World of Sports:

HALF-TIME! A try to Mitchell Pearce on the siren has the Blues up 12-4 as we end the first-half. #Origin #9WWOS pic.twitter.com/cPW3MWzDJA

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) May 31, 2017

If Queensland had managed to keep things close in the first half, the second period was a major disappointment in comparison, and an eight-minute nightmare essentially ended their hopes of taking Game 1.

Coach Laurie Daley's Blues stormed out after the restart reinvigorated to increase their lead, and it wasn't long before man-of-the-match contender Tedesco blazed over the line to open their second-half account in the 52nd minute.

Maloney's third conversion of the day pushed their lead to 18-4, and only minutes later, Queensland's dire display was encapsulated as Fifita picked up a spilled ball in front of the Maroons' line to go over for one of the easiest tries he'll ever score.

That glum patch for the hosts ended with Hayne joining in on the scoring party with an extremely impressive dummy and shift through a porous Maroons defence:

Big game player!@JarrydHayne#Origin#NRL pic.twitter.com/HoqlnAeOg7

— NRL (@NRL) May 31, 2017

Tedesco was also crucial in preventing a couple of Queensland chances right at the death thanks to a pair of heroic tackles near the line, and although the Maroons challenged, it proved to be all huff and very little puff. 

Thurston's potential return for Game 2 will give Queensland some hope of turning this series around in three weeks' time, although there appears to be some fundamental issues in need of addressing within the Maroons camp.