National Rugby League

New South Wales will win back-to-back State of Origin titles for the first time in 14 years if they can overcome the Queensland Maroons in Game 3 of the 2019 series on Wednesday.

The Blues recovered well from a narrow Game 1 defeat to obliterate Queensland 38-6 in the second match of this year's series, with everything still to play for as the teams travel to ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

One of the biggest spectacles in the rugby league calendar will come to a head in a winner-takes-all clash, with each team sealing at least one game for a record-equalling ninth State of Origin series in succession.

The Maroons lost their crown in 2018 following a run of three consecutive State of Origin triumphs, and they will aim to reclaim the title in this great Australian rivalry this week.

Date: Wednesday, July 10

Time: 11:10 a.m. BST/6:10 a.m. ET/8:10 p.m. local time

Venue: ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)

Preview

The battle lines have been drawn ahead of a tense State of Origin decider, and squad selection will be a hotly contested subject approaching Game 3.

Much of Queensland's focus will be based on recapturing some of the defensive structure they exhibited in Game 1, when they came back from a scoreless first half to emerge 18-14 victors, via Sky News Australia:

The Maroons have been hit by the news that second-row forward Matt Gillett could miss out due to a groin injury, while centre Michael Morgan is also a doubt leading up to kick-off, per News.com.au.

Queensland will also hope to see winger Dane Gagai, 28, back to his best. The South Sydney Rabbitohs star scored two of his side's three tries in the series-opening win and has since been in scoring action for his National Rugby League team, via Fox League:

New South Wales dominated at the Optus Stadium in Perth last time out, and they will hope home advantage plays a big role ahead of their only home fixture of this series.

This year's Origin has already featured much of the talent and fierce competition that make it such a unique experience. Blues captain Boyd Cordner was subject to some underhand tactics in Game 1, via Nine News Australia:

Wednesday's hosts will struggle to match their tally of six tries in the last outing but will hope Game 2 is a sign of the improvement they're making.

Manly Sea Eagles phenomenon Tom Trbojevic, 22, led from the front and scored a hat-trick in the second game to almost level the series single-handedly:

He and older brother Jake, 25, have each scored tries during this Origin series and will look to add to their accounts in Sydney on Wednesday.

The New South Wales Blues will look to keep the 2019 State of Origin series alive on Sunday when they face the Queensland Maroons in their second meeting.

The two sides will face off at the Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, with the Blues aiming to avenge an 18-14 defeat in the series opener on June 5.

Date: Sunday, June 23

Time: 5:50 p.m. local (10:50 a.m. BST, 5:50 a.m. ET)

TV Info: Channel 9 (AUS), Sky Sports (UK)

Live Stream: 9 Now (AUS), Sky Go (UK)

The Blues are the defending champions, having won the series last year for just the second time since 2005.

They looked to be on course for a strong start to this year's series when they took an 8-0 lead at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane into half-time in the first match, but Queensland battled back to draw first blood.

New South Wales have rung the changes in response to their defeat and dropped seven players—three because of injuries—including Latrell Mitchell.

Mitchell was sin-binned in the second half, and Dane Gagai scored the first of his two tries while the Blues player was off the field:

Josh Morris is also among those dropped despite scoring the Blues' opening try.

Fox Sports' Warren Smith had sympathy for him:

Cody Walker and Angus Crichton have also been left out, along with the injured David Klemmer (wrist), Payne Haas (hamstring) and Nick Cotric (ankle).

In their place will come Blake Ferguson, Tom Trbojevic, James Maloney, Daniel Saifiti, Dale Finucane, Wade Graham and Tariq Sims.

As for Queensland, they're keeping the same squad together following the victory, aside from replacing Joe Ofahengaue (knee) and Jai Arrow (ankle) with Tim Glasby and Jarrod Wallace.

Gagai will be hoping to add to his tally after his brace of tries in the first match took him to 11 in as many State of Origin games:

Despite their comeback, Maroons boss Kevin Walters is confident his team are capable of much better.

"With the team we have selected, we know there is improvement," Walters said, per Queensland's official website. "After reviewing the game [at Suncorp], I would probably give it a five, or maybe if I am being kind, a six out of 10, and the players are aware of this."

If that was a middle-of-the-road performance from Queensland, New South Wales will have to hope their replacements can help them produce a significantly better showing than they did in the first game, or the series will be going back to their rivals once again.

The 25th and last NRL round of season 2018 is here, and with just two games separating the entire top eight, the final makeup of the finalists is far from set in stone.

Starting at the top of the table, should the Melbourne Storm slip up to the Penrith Panthers at home on Friday night, then any of the Sydney Roosters, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks or South Sydney Rabbitohs can lift the J.J. Giltinan Shield.

Storm's match with the Panthers on Friday night is also a farewell match for the retiring Billy Slater, although depending on where the club finishes on the table, the defending Premiers will host at least one final.

Melbourne are $1.49 AUD on the NRL Round 25 odds to salute for the champion representative fullback, while the fifth-placed Panthers, who still have hopes of a top-four finish but can slide as low as eighth if they lose, are out at $2.65, according to AustralianGambling.

Should the Rabbitohs get the job done against the Wests Tigers in the opening match of the round on Thursday night, then they'll go equal with the Storm on points, although they do have a lot of point differential to make up.

The Rabbitohs are $1.38 to get the better of the ninth-placed Tigers ($3.04), who have had a frustrating season and are set to miss the finals for the seventh straight year.

Sitting just one spot above the Tigers in eighth place are the New Zealand Warriors ($1.55), who can finish as high as second should they get the job done against a Canberra Raiders ($2.45) side who've beaten two of the top three sides in the last fortnight but are set to miss the eight.

The side they defeated two weeks ago, the Roosters, are $1.23 on the betting lines to snap a two-game losing streak that may well have cost them the minor premiership, with a win over the Parramatta Eels ($4.20).

The Sharks ($1.50) and St George Illawarra Dragons ($1.75) are both favoured to keep their top-four chances alive with wins over the Canterbury Bulldogs ($2.60) and the Newcastle Knights ($2.09), respectively, while the second-shortest-priced favourites of the round are the Brisbane Broncos ($1.36), who should be too strong for the Manly Sea Eagles ($3.16) on Sunday.

Johnathan Thurston will run out for the 323rd and final time as an NRL player on Saturday afternoon when his North Queensland Cowboys ($1.53) take on the Gold Coast Titans ($2.50).

The North Queensland Cowboys are aiming to become the first side in the history of the NRL to win the Premiership after finishing eighth on the ladder when they head back to Sydney for the fourth weekend in a row for a Grand Final against the Minor Premier Melbourne Storm.

The Cowboys have been underdogs in each of their three postseason matches so far, and this Sunday will be no different, with $3.85 AUD on offer for them to cause another boil over. Melbourne have dropped just four games all year long and are $1.27 to go one better than last season and lift the Provan-Summons Trophy, according to AustralianGambling.

The Storm head to Sydney full of confidence, having won nine games in a row and played their first two finals on their home deck. A sixth straight win over the Cowboys would be a fitting way to cap off an amazing season for the side from the Victorian capital and see the club secure a third Premiership.

Melbourne captain Cameron Smith was named the Dally M Medallist after he was voted the player of the year, and he's also considered a $2.75 wager to add a Clive Churchill medal (man of the match) to his trophy cabinet on Sunday.

This game will also be the last for Storm halfback Cooper Cronk. The 33-year-old will hang up his boots at the final whistle, but his contest against Cowboys counterpart Michael Morgan will go a long way to deciding which club lifts the trophy on Sunday night.

Morgan and the rest of his Cowboys teammates achieved a remarkable completion rate of 90 per cent in their Preliminary Final win over the Roosters, while Jason Taumalolo ran for a huge 256 metres.

That game finished in a 29-16 win for the Queensland side, but the Storm had a much easier time of it in their Grand Final Qualifier, running in four tries to none in a 30-0 win over the Broncos. Fullback Billy Slater ran in two tries and looks in great touch ahead of this one.

This game pits two of the most successful clubs of the modern era against each other. The Storm have played in seven of the last 12 NRL deciders, while the Cowboys have made the finals every year since 2011, and a win this weekend would be their second title in three years.

After 192 regular season games, the top eight sides in the NRL have their sights set on the first week of the finals, which begin on Friday night in Sydney.

That match sees the second-place Sydney Roosters host the third-place Brisbane Broncos in a blockbuster Qualifying Final. The winner of this one will be well placed to challenge for the Premiership, just one home win away from the Grand Final.

The Roosters have won their last four games against the Broncos on their home deck, which has seen them installed as $1.60 AUD favorites, with the club from the Queensland capital out at $2.35 according to AustralianGambling.com.au.

The other Qualifying Final will be played down in Victoria on Saturday afternoon, when the Melbourne Storm, the top pick for the Premiership, are the shortest priced favorite of the weekend, at $1.22, to beat the Parramatta Eels ($4.30), who finished fourth.

The Storm are on a seven-game winning streak heading into the finals and, having lost just four games all season long, it's going to take a massive effort from the Eels to cause a boil over in this one.

The first of the two Elimination Finals takes place on Saturday night when the Manly Sea Eagles and Penrith Panthers go head to head for the second week in a row. In the final round of the season, it was the Sea Eagles who cemented their place in the finals with a 28-12 win.

That loss was Penrith's second in as many weeks, and with constant speculation surrounding the future of their skipper Matt Moylan, it's been a less than ideal lead-up to the most important time of the year.

All the money has been for the Manly side to repeat their heroics of last week, which has seen them come into $1.60 to end Penrith's ($2.35) season.

On Sunday, the North Queensland Cowboys, who only snuck into the top eight after the St George Illawarra Dragons bowed out of contention with a final-round loss, aim to cause a huge upset and end the reigning Premier Cronulla Sharks' season.

Cronulla haven't exactly set the world on fire in the last five weeks either though. They've managed just two wins in that period, including a lacklustre performance against the wooden-spooners Newcastle.

The Sharks are at the short quote of $1.35 to keep their dream of back to back titles alive, with the Cowboys out at $3.20.

The final round of the NRL season is here, and with four teams vying for the final three spots in the top eight and a further two clubs trying to break into the coveted top four, the stage is set for a brilliant closing weekend before the finals.

The action kicks off Thursday night in Townsville when the North Queensland Cowboys host the Brisbane Broncos. The seventh-place Cowboys are a $2.60 AUD outsider for the win they need to ensure they qualify for the finals for a seventh year in a row.

The Broncos ($1.50) are sitting in third place on the table, but they can move as high as second—meaning they host a qualifying final the following weekend—should they win and the Sydney Roosters lose to the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday.

That is highly unlikely, though, given that the Titans haven't won since Round 17 and have slid all the way down to 14th position in the process. The Roosters are $1.09, according to AustralianGambling.com.au, while the Titans are way out at $7.50.

Another club who can finish second on the ladder if results go their way is the Parramatta Eels, who are heavily favoured to beat the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday night at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney.

Parra are at $1.22 to win their ninth game from their last 10 starts against a Souths side that cannot wait for the season to end.

Another fascinating clash takes place in the northern beaches of Sydney on Saturday afternoon, when the Manly Sea Eagles ($1.77) host the Penrith Panthers ($2.05).

The hosts are in eighth place, so the pressure is on them to perform. But despite last weekend's shock loss to the St George Illawarra Dragons, the Panthers are the league's in-form team, having won their previous seven games in a row.

Penrith are sitting in sixth spot, but they can go up to fifth if the Cronulla Sharks are upset by the Newcastle Knights.

The reigning Premiers are $1.30 to win that crucial contest in the Hunter Valley on Sunday afternoon, with the Knights, who are in a battle with the Wests Tigers to avoid the wooden spoon, way out at $3.55.

The Tigers sit just one win ahead of the Knights but can ensure they escape winning the unwanted piece of kitchenware with a win over the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday night. That win is priced at $1.57, with the Kiwis out at $2.40.

Should Manly lose, then the ninth-place Dragons can into sneak into the eight with a win over the Canterbury Bulldogs on Sunday. St George have been an incredibly tough team to follow this season, having won two games in a row just twice.

The Melbourne Storm's last hit out before the finals comes at home on Saturday night against the Raiders, whose season ended two weeks ago when they were beaten in a nail-biter against the Panthers.

Melbourne's form has been red hot: They dismantled Souths 64-6 last week and are $1.33 to enter their seventh straight finals campaign with a win.

The Melbourne Storm may have wrapped up their second minor premiership in as many years with a win over the Newcastle Knights last weekend, but the race for both the top-four and top-eight spots is still alive as we enter the penultimate round of the NRL season.

Last week the two sides likely to break into the top eight were the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Canberra Raiders, but both failed to take their chances after they lost to the Brisbane Broncos and the Penrith Panthers, respectively.

Luckily for the pair, the eighth-place Manly Sea Eagles dropped their second game in as many weeks, which left the door ajar. The team from the northern beaches of Sydney sit just one win ahead of the ninth-place North Queensland Cowboys and two games ahead of the 10th-place Raiders, who will now find it tough to reach their second finals series in a row.

Canberra have the chance to give their flickering aspirations a boost on Friday night with a home win against the cellar-dwelling Knights ($5.50), a win that's priced at $1.15 AUD, while Manly are $1.52 to snap a two-game losing streak when they head across the ditch to play the New Zealand Warriors ($2.55) on Sunday according to AustralianGambling.com.au.

The Dragons face the Penrith Panthers this week. The Panthers are the in-form team of the competition and have won seven games in a row to make a charge towards the top four, and with it the all-important double chance.

Penrith are $1.52 to make it eight wins in a row, with the Dragons out at $2.55.

The Panthers are hoping to displace the reigning Premiers, the Cronulla Sharks, from the top four. They sit just one win ahead of Penrith in fourth place on the ladder.

Cronulla face a tough assignment against the third-place Sydney Roosters ($2.02) at home on Saturday night. In the match of the round, the hosts are a $1.80 chance to win their second game in a row after they were too strong for the Cowboys last week in a crucial win.

The Parramatta Eels are the other club who still have top-four aspirations following their amazing late-season form, which has consisted of seven wins from their last eight games.

They head north to Brisbane for a Thursday-night blockbuster against the second-place Brisbane Broncos, but the Eels aren't given too much chance at $4. The Broncos are at $1.25 to win their 10th home game from 12 starts this campaign.

The tightest betting match of the round comes up on Friday night in Sydney, where the Wests Tigers host the Cowboys. These two sides cannot be split at $1.90 for a game the Cowboys simply must win if they want to be a part of the finals action for the seventh year in a row.

As mentioned, the Storm may have wrapped up the minor premiership, but they'll still want to finish the regular season with a pair of wins to ensure they hit the finals with some momentum. The Melburnians are assessed as a $1.17 chance to beat South Sydney Rabbitohs ($5.10), who they host on Saturday afternoon.

Both the St George Illawarra Dragons and the Canberra Raiders took a huge step towards qualifying for the NRL finals last weekend when they beat the Gold Coast Titans and the New Zealand Warriors, respectively.

The Dragons are now breathing down the neck of the North Queensland Cowboys in ninth place on the ladder but face a tough trip north to take on the second place Brisbane Broncos on Friday night.

St George have played in just one finals series since 2011 and are big outsiders at $3.60 AUD, according to AustralianGambling.com.au, against a Broncos side ($1.30) who've won four of their last five games.

While the Red V are just a game outside the top eight, the Raiders are a game further back in 10th place, but they are favored at $1.56 to get the win over the sixth place Penrith Panthers ($2.45) on Sunday, which would keep them in the hunt.

There are several teams fighting to keep their finals aspirations alive over the closing three rounds of the season, but the Melbourne Storm are sitting pretty at the top, three games clear at the summit. Barring a catastrophe, the Storm will clinch their second straight Minor Premiership this Saturday against the cellar-dwelling Newcastle Knights.

Last season's runners-up are $1.20 to beat the Knights ($4.65), which will snap a three-game winning streak for the Newcastle outfit, who are finishing the season strongly.

After losing to Melbourne last weekend, the Sydney Roosters have now dropped two games in a row and are in danger of dropping out of the top four at the worst possible time. They are heavy favorites at $1.22 to beat the 15th place Wests Tigers ($4.40) at home Saturday afternoon though, which should steady the ship.

Cronulla Sharks have also lost ground on their Premiership rivals over the past fortnight, with losses to both the Raiders and the Broncos, which has left them ahead of the fifth place Parramatta Eels by point difference only.

The reigning Premiers are assessed as a $1.60 betting favorite to beat the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville on Saturday night, which is one of the matches of the round. A win for the Cowboys is priced at $2.37 and would be a massive boost for a team who have played without their star Johnathan Thurston for most of the season.

Round 24 kicks off at Sydney's Olympic Stadium on Thursday night, when the Eels ($1.22) host the Gold Coast Titans ($4.60), whose coach Neil Henry has been under fierce scrutiny by the media this week after his team dropped their fourth straight game.

South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.30) are at short odds to win their third game in a row, when they host the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night, but unfortunately for Souths fans, their late-season resurgence has come too late.

The Melbourne Storm remain the team to beat at the top of the NRL ladder after getting past the North Queensland Cowboys last weekend. The team from the Victorian capital can now sew up the Minor Premiership with a win over the Sydney Roosters on Saturday.

The Roosters were one of two top-four teams who dropped their Round 22 fixtures last weekend, which has left Melbourne in the box seat to secure their second Minor Premiership in as many years.

Sydney travel down to Melbourne for a Saturday matchup at AAMI Park, a venue that the hosts have lost just two games at from nine starts this season. The Storm are assessed as a $1.40 AUD chance to get the two points, according to AustralianGambling.com.au, with the Roosters out at $3.

The other top-four club who lost last weekend was the Cronulla Sharks, which has left them hanging on to fourth place by point difference only. It doesn't get any easier for the reigning Premiers this week either, with a Friday night assignment against the third-place Brisbane Broncos.

The Broncos belted their Queensland neighbours, the Gold Coast Titans, by an incredible scoreline of 54-0 last week, so they've been installed as $1.42 favourites for this one, while the Sharks are out at $2.90.

The loser of that clash will be surpassed by the in-form team of the league, the Parramatta Eels, should they get the two points against the bottom of the table Newcastle Knights in the early game on Friday night.

Parra have now won six straight games and are at a line of $1.15 to make it lucky number seven against the Novocastrians ($5.60).

The Penrith Panthers also have a huge winning streak going and are heavily favoured to make it six wins on the trot when they host the North Queensland Cowboys at Pepper Stadium on Saturday night.

The Panthers are $1.45 for a win that would see them cement their position inside the top eight with just three rounds remaining. It won't be easy, though, against a Cowboys side who still harbour hopes of a top-four finish despite that home loss to Melbourne last Friday night.

St George Illawarra Dragons are the team that Penrith replaced inside the top eight, following their nail-biting loss at the hands of the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Red V ($1.42) have a chance to bounce back into finals contention with a win over the Titans ($2.90) on Saturday.

Manly Sea Eagles steamrolled the Roosters last week and now find themselves a heavy favourite ($1.40) to be too strong for the 15th-place Wests Tigers ($3) on Sunday.

Round 23 kicks off at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney on Thursday night between two of the most disappointing teams of the season, the South Sydney Rabbitohs ($1.66) and the Canterbury Bulldogs ($2.25).