State of Origin 2016: Date, Start Time, Live Stream for Blues vs. Maroons
The first match of the 2016 State of Origin will take place on Wednesday, June 1, pitting the New South Wales Blues against Queensland Maroons at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia.
Queensland have dominated the series in recent years, winning nine out of the last 10, and after the painful 52-6 drubbing in last year's decider, the Blues will be looking to make a statement.
Coach Laurie Daley has called up five debutants, but Queensland remain the huge favourites entering the series. Here's everything you need to know about Game 1:
Date: Wednesday, June 1
Time: 11 a.m. BST/8 p.m. AEST
Venue: ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Live Stream: PremierPlayer (UK), NRL Digital Pass (AUS)
Preview
The State of Origin remains one of Rugby League's most exciting matchups, despite the one-sided nature of the series in recent years. Queensland have been unstoppable, losing just a single series since 2006, and Andrew Webster of the Syndey Morning Herald even fears for the future of the series if the Blues can't put together a fine showing on Wednesday:
Former Maroons coach Wayne Bennett maintains that as long as Queenslanders remain passionate about Origin, then Origin will remain healthy and strong.
Yet there is certainly growing concern among the game's suits that NSW must be competitive in this year's series to keep the Origin juggernaut hurtling along.
Huge television ratings, crowds, social media engagement and – perhaps most telling of all – curious interest from AFL-drunk Victorians suggest the interstate concept is hardly under threat.
But a loss for coach Daley's team in the opening match would be disastrous. It would mean an unlikely victory would be needed in game two at Queensland's footy shrine of Suncorp Stadium to keep the series alive heading into game three in Sydney.
Per Webster, the weather forecast for Wednesday's match looks dreadful, with heavy showers expected throughout the day. That should help New South Wales, who are expected to turn the match into a slugfest and use their kicking game to make the difference.
Debutant Adam Reynolds will be the Blues' half-back, playing in front of his hometown fans. Queensland are expected to target the 25-year-old early and often, but he told Nine News Sydney he sees that as a positive:
Maroons half-back Cooper Cronk is still recovering from an ankle injury, and on Tuesday it still wasn't clear whether or not he would play, per 7 News Queensland:
There have been suggestions Cronk's injury is being used by Queensland to play “mind games” with their opponents, as Blues captain Paul Gallen told the Australian Associated Press (for the Guardian).
His availability will be a huge factor, however, and even if he plays, his fitness and effectiveness will be a concern for Queensland. New South Wales field a number of massive forwards, including Aaron Woods, David Klemmer, James Tamou and Andrew Fifita, and they should be able to control the tempo of the match and give Reynolds the time he needs.
Queensland are thought to be faster and more explosive than their opponents, but if the conditions are as tough as predicted, they will have to match their opponent in the kicking game. They'll need Melbourne Storm star Cronk, one of the NRL's most consistent half-backs―per Nine News Brisbane, even his team-mates admitted it would be difficult to beat the Blues without him.
New South Wales need to start the series off on the right foot after the debacle in last year's decider, and given the weather forecast and Cronk's possible absence, they'll have their best chance at an upset on Wednesday.
