Queensland will be hoping to wrap up the prestigious State Of Origin series with a match to spare at Perth’s Optus Stadium this Sunday.
It will be just the second time that a State of Origin match has been played outside of Australia’s East Coast, the previous one was an exhibition match in Los Angeles in 1987 which most Aussies don’t really count.
The Optus Stadium is set to become the 10th different venue to host a State of Origin match, with the Adelaide Oval to join that list next year.
New South Wales Team News
The Blues head to the west coast attempting to keep the series alive and force a decider on their home turf at ANZ Stadium next month.
Brad Fittler’s is set to make several changes to the line-up which started the first game. Centre Latrell Mitchell has been dropped after being sin-binned in the first half of the first game. Wade Graham and Blake Ferguson both return to the starting line-up, however, while Daniel Saifiti and Dale Finucane will both make their debuts for the Blues.
But the planned return of Mitchell Pearce has had to be shelved again because of injury and New South Wales will be poorer for his absence.
Queensland Team News
Coach Kevin Walters didn’t think his team played particularly well in the first game. But they still produced an impressive scoring burst to come from eight points down at half time.
There will be plenty of confidence around the Maroons’ dressing room that they can beat New South Wales for the third time in a row and wrap up the State Of Origin ahead of time. Walters is forced to make two changes from the first match in the Suncorp Stadium. Dylan Napa is a solid replacement for the injured Jai Arrow, however. Jarrod Wallace also replaces Joe Ofahengaue.
New South Wales v Queensland Head-to-Heads
New South Wales v Queensland Head-to-HeadsQueensland have won six of the last 10 State Of Origin matches but there has been no more than six points between the teams at the final whistle in four of their last six encounters.
New South Wales v Queensland Current Best Odds
New South Wales Evens, Draw 20/1, Queensland 21/20 (Odds correct at 4.45pm June 20)
New South Wales v Queensland Predictions – Maroons to keep on track for whitewash
It’s difficult to understand why the Maroons of Queensland are a bigger price that the Blues of New South Wales. There was no real fluke about the result of the first match at the Suncorp Stadium, despite the close score. Walters’ team managed the closing stages effectively and have rightly made few alterations. Queensland to win again is 21/20 with betway.
