Match Centre

Blues had the chance. Issah Yeo gets into the backfield but is grassed inches away. FULLTIME! Queensland win.

PENALTY BLUES! They will have ONE SET to send us to Golden Point.

Ben Hunt bursts through and could've iced the game. He passes outside and the Blues recover. This is their last chance.

Blues run it on last. It goes through both halves then into the hands of Wighton whose kick inside is taken by Munster well.

Cook tried to invent a kick on last after it was returned back to the Blues and nada. Queensland survive.

Blues have the energy now! Jack Wighton with a huge break on the left and is tackled. Blues are lost on the next tackle and Crichton has it pinched.

PENALTY BLUES! Here is their chance.

Blues finally break through. Tedesco in the clear. He kicks ahead but Val Holmes is there!

Now Martin just pops an offload straight to DCE.

Blues had all the momentum then Cook throws it straight to Queensland. Luckily Kaufusi loses it back.

PENALTY BLUES! Tedesco with an energetic run and earns the whistle.

Wonderful scramble from Queensland! It was left to Luai to kick and it was tapped back for the Blues. The tackles came from everywhere to get em.

DCE tries to catch the Blues off guard with a 40/20 but it just goes over the 30.

Crichton with his first involvement and is on report for a dangerous tackle. PENALTY MAROONS!

Blues have made their changes! Payne Haas comes on and the more noted one. Stephen Crichton is ON.. for Kotoni Staggs.

Cleary puts a kick up which hits a Blues attacker then goes dead. Bunker overrules the referee on field and makes the right call.

Nanai is being carried off the field by several trainers. I hope it is a quick recovery for the Cowboys backrower who has been a revelation this season.

To'o with a blockbuster run but we have time off. Nanai is down clutching his leg.

KICK-OFF! now you can shut up ground announcer.

Hope you caught your breath. We're back for the second half! Queensland with the two point advantage.

HALFTIME! Queensland hold a slender 6-4 lead at the break.

Blues strike right back! On the back of a pair of set restarts. Blue attacked the middle of the park and Junior Paulo just strolls over. Hang on! We're going to have a look! PENALTY QUEENSLAND! Try is chalked off.

Tupou gets the best of the aerial duel then throws it forward to Tedesco.

Queensland get called forward as they tried to engage on the left side.

CAPTAIN'S CHALLENGE from Queensland! Disputing the high tackle. DCE was falling at the point of contact. UNSUCCESSFUL. Meanwhile Xavier Coates is limping off.

Blues repel the Maroons again! Liam Martin dives on a kick which was allowed to bounce. Tupou follows up with another strong carry.

PENALTY MAROONS! Blues were all offside there. Grant tried to stop, prop and find someone and lost it. Goes back for the penalty.

We've settled into a rhythm now. Both sides are trading sets.

Xavier Coates was almost away with the intercept there! He spills it, as does the Blues man. Double knock on. Scrum Blues.

PENALTY MAROONS! Cobbo is swarmed by defenders. Klein called held and the Blues tossed him over the sideline.

DCE bursts through the line but is corralled by Luai. Ben Hunt takes kicking duties on fourth and rolls one dead. Seven tackle set.

Cleary doesn't get all of that kick and it floats in goal for Ponga to catch easily. 20 metre tap.

Yeo has been checked by the doctors after a heavy collision in the first tackle. He is given the all clear and we're right to go.

Payne Haas just steamrolls past Cam Munster. Cook goes for a dart and the set gets wiped due to a touch from Queensland.

Blues will kick off through Panthers Premiership winning halfback Nathan Cleary. Here we go! KICK-OFF!

Firstly it is a welcome to country from Yvonne Weldon to get us going for tonight! That was beautifully said and done by Yvonne with the respects paid to the first nations people. Following that is Emily Nkomo doing the national anthem is a dress brighter than some of the lights in the stadium. Well sung and we have the final huddles from both teams.

Hi, we're still here netflix, I mean Channel 9. I think the game is about to kick off finally. Maybe? Blues are walkin' ere and so are Queensland! It is actually kick-off time! It is a packed house in Sydney Olympic Park! They ratchet up the boos for the visiting Queensland side as they trot onto the turf. Next out is the Blues! They seem to be walking for days, now it time to walk right into battle. A huge roar ripples through the stadium as they enter the playing field. Now it's the anthem and off we go!

There was a wonderful welcome to country acknowledged pre-game here then we're going into the mind of Skrillex for the "entertainment" to get origin going. It sounds like a mid 90s industrial rave instead of a football game. I hope the Blue Heeler is okay. Blues are going to start making the long, long walk into the stadium from the training pitch. We're almost ready to go.

Quickly the team news! Brad Fittler had flagged there might be some changes to his starting line-up tonight and there has BUT not the one you expect. Reagan Campbell-Gillard has been elevated to start in place of Eels team mate Junior Paulo. The other switch is Panthers tyro Liam Martin starting for Rabbitohs Cameron Murray. So the whispered switch between Stephen Crichton and Jack Wighton did not materise. For the visitors: it is a bit boring. No changes for them. Jai Arrow will be the 18th man. It means there is a handful of debutants for the Maroons including Cowboys pair Jeremiah Nanai and Reuben Cotter alongside Broncos flyer Selwyn Cobbo.

First up we have a stirring promo for Origin voiced by the recently retired Ray 'Rabbits' Warren which didn't leave a dry eye on the east coast of Australia. We're almost ready for all the pre-game entertainment before the game gets going at a packed Stadium Australia.

Welcome to Origin everybody! The series starts with a fascinating clash at Stadium Australia! Can the Blues continue their strong recent run and lift the shield again? or will the Billy Slater led revival show that Queensland spirit is once again a thing. Blues will be fired up after Premier Dom Perrottet showed off his meme skills in the pre-game while Queensland I am sure once again have battled through illness, war and bonding sessions to bring themselves to Sydney tonight! The game is due to kick-off around 8:10pm. So grab everything you need, we'll be ready soon!