State of Origin Preview: Adelaide the scene for crucial Game I clash

The 2023 State of Origin series opens at the hallowed Adelaide Oval on Wednesday night with the Queenslanders looking to secure back-to-back titles under head coach Billy Slater.

Very little has separated the sides in recent years; over the past six series both sides have three series wins apiece and have won nine games and lost nine.

NSW have won four of the past five clashes at neutral venues but have lost three of the past four series openers.

Queensland have made several forced and unforced changes to the 17 that pulled off a famous, series-deciding win at Suncorp Stadium in Game III last year.

Kalyn Ponga has been overlooked at fullback with Queensland selectors favouring Broncos whiz kid Reece Walsh.

The 25-year-old incumbent – who scored a try and ran for 262 metres with 16 tackle breaks and three line breaks en route to a Player of the Match nod in last year’s decider – had made it through just two full NRL games unscathed when the squads were announced.

Veteran outside backs Dane Gagai and Corey Oates also will not run out for Queensland when they take the field on Wednesday night.

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Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow’s strong start to the year was enough to convince Slater to omit Gagai – who has enjoyed a folklore-ish career in Maroon – and break his streak of 22 consecutive appearances whilst a knee injury to Oates has paved the way for North Queensland’s Murray Taulagi to earn his second Origin cap.

Cameron Munster returns to the lineup after he was a late scratching from their Game III win in 2022 with his replacement Tom Dearden reverting to 18th man.

The retirement of middle stalwart Josh Papali’i opens the door for Thomas Flegler to make his return to the Origin arena alongside David Fifita who replaces the suspended Jeremiah Nanai.

Reuben Cotter – who missed the final two games of last year’s series through injury – returns onto the interchange with Tom Gilbert starting in the second row in place of Kurt Capewell.

The omissions of Gagai and Capewell were noteworthy, particularly given Queensland’s oft-cited “pick-and-stick” ethos.

Neither has let the state down at Origin level and have enjoyed decent to strong years at clubland but Slater has opted to reward the form of younger players.

As for the Blues, Brad Fittler has made changes to the squad that went down to the Maroons in Game III of last year whilst being dealt a last-minute injury blow with star centre Latrell Mitchell’s Origin return dashed due to a calf issue.

Stephen Crichton will instead retain his spot in the centres but will this time around be paired with Tom Trbojevic who returns to the side in place of Matt Burton nearly two years on from his 2021 Wally Lewis Medal for Player of the Series.

Josh Addo-Carr makes his return to the fold after sensationally missing out on selection 12 months ago with incumbent Daniel Tupou out through injury.

The Blues will enter the clash with a brand-new front-row and second-row pairing; Junior Paulo, Cameron Murray, and Liam Martin will all come off the pine after starting in last year’s decider whilst Jake Trbojevic is missing due to injury.

Tevita Pangai Jr. makes a shock debut up front alongside former Broncos teammate Payne Haas who returns after missing their Game III loss through injury whilst Canberra firebrand Hudson Young debuts on one edge with Newcastle veteran Tyson Frizell returning from a three-year Origin hiatus to line-up on the other edge.

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All four members of the interchange from last year’s decider – Damien Cook, Jacob Saifiti, Siosifa Talakai and Angus Crichton – have been omitted with reigning Dally M Medallist Nicho Hynes debuting.

Fittler has opted to ditch the double-hooker strategy with Apisai Koroisau expected to spend the entirety of the game at nine.

The inclusion of Tom Trbojevic is a key one for the Blues; the Manly superstar has won six of his eight Origin appearances and has scored nine tries in those outings.

Fittler has put his faith in Trbojevic despite calls from pundits to omit the star who has, at times, appeared tentative on the field this year after offseason hamstring rehabilitation.

A three-try, 245-metre performance in his final NRL outing prior to Origin camp expelled some fears over his health.

The Blues have lost three of their past four games and managed to score just seven tries in the three losses.

It will be vital that Fittler’s men win the yardage battle through the middle and lay the necessary platform for Nathan Cleary to control the tempo with his boot.

There is hardly a dearth of attacking players among the NSW ranks but, if they continue to commit unnecessary errors and allow the Queensland forwards to use the ball freely, they may again fall short.

The longer the clash remains in the balance, the more comfortable the Maroons will feel; time and time again, Queensland’s clutch genes have shone at the timeliest of moments.

Surrendering a 1-0 lead may prove a death knell for the Blues with the scene of the series shifting to the Brisbane cauldron for Game II.

NSW enter the clash as favourites – which they have done in all 15 games of the Fittler era – but, if history tells us anything, the odds mean little when whistle sounds and the contact begins.

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