State of Origin is the absolute pinnacle of rugby league. Since its inception in 1980, allowing the best players in the nation to represent their state in a three-game series has embedded itself in the hearts and minds of fans of the great game.
As New South Wales prepare to host Queensland in the first game of the 2026 series, we take a trip back through the memories of our three generations of rugby league punditry. From our Gen X expert who was there from the very start, to our Gen Y expert who grew up as the series flourished, through to our Gen Z expert who best knows Wally Lewis as a statue outside Suncorp Stadium, they each have their own views on what makes State of Origin so good.
What is your earliest memory of State of Origin?
GEN X: It was 1984, my father, sister and I had tickets to Game II at the SCG. We were meeting my aunty and cousins there and I remember doing our very best to keep their seats dry, as the rain pelted down. Back before mobile phones, we had no way of knowing that they had changed their minds and stayed home to watch it in the dry warmth of their loungeroom. Sitting there, completely drenched, our moods were not enhanced by the try Greg Dowling scored up the other end of the sodden field after a Wally Lewis kick rebounded off the cross bar.
- Darren Arthur
GEN Y: I remember bits and pieces of the years prior, but the first year I can recall vividly is 1999. As a young Souths fan I was riding every hard carry that Spud Carroll made for the Blues in the decider and being so confused as to why everyone just accepted a draw and went home. The next year was extremely cathartic when the decider was thoroughly one-sided and the Blues racked up a half-century.
- Matt Bungard
GEN Z: My earliest vivid memory was in 2019, when I was in year 11. Mum and I were watching the game in the living room, and I was wary that it was a school night and I'd be getting ready for bed soon. I don't recall much of the game, but the memory of James Tedesco sealing the series in the dying minutes remains etched in my brain, scoring one of the most iconic and electric tries I'd ever seen.
- Isaac Issa
Your greatest State of Origin memory?
GEN X: It was Game II of the 1991 State of Origin series. I was at the SFS, once again in the pouring rain and sitting in some pretty ordinary seats. We were on the eastern touchline, front row, almost in the corner beyond the Southern deadball line. My mates and I were drenched and cold, but the game was incredible. Just before halftime, the Mark Geyer-Wally Lewis fight blew up in the middle of the field. With time running out in the second half and NSW trailing 12-8, Mark McGaw crashed over for a try in the corner across the field from us, to level the scores. Michael O'Connor lined up the conversion from the sideline and suddenly our rubbish seats gave us the perfect line to watch his kick. He stepped in and curved it perfectly through the posts towards us. The crowd went absolutely wild, as the Blues levelled the series 1-1.
GEN Y: It has to be 2014, could it be anything else? I'd gone to Brazil with some mates for the FIFA World Cup, watched the game in the morning and then sat basically in line with where Tim Cahill scored that volley from. The only way the day could have been better was if the Socceroos had held on to beat the Netherlands. Things were absolutely dire for almost a decade since that famous 2006 decider, but with a new-look halves combination and an incredible Game 1 win off the back of some of the best scrambling defence you'll ever see, New South Wales were full of belief. It was another dogged defensive battle but when Trent Hodkinson went over for the only try of the match with ten minutes to go, the deed was done. Seeing the Blues win the Shield for the first time as an adult at 6am in South America wasn't quite how I envisioned it, but what a moment nonetheless.
GEN Z: A recent one for mine, it was the unreal, against-all-odds performance of Mitchell Moses in Game III of the 2024 State of Origin series. Huddled with friends and family around the TV, I recall the general consensus being that the Blues had little to no chance of beating the Maroons at Suncorp. Enter Moses, who was a genuine warrior out there. Copping heavy hits off nearly every kick, steering the ship as the main playmaker, and creating opportunities off second-phase play -- he truly cemented himself as one of the great NSW halfbacks, at least in my mind.
Your favourite State of Origin player?
GEN X: There have been a few over the years, but one that comes to mind would be Bradley Clyde. He was such a presence in the forwards, a player who had the toughness of earlier generations, combined with the emerging greater dedication to fitness and preparation and just dominated at club and representative level. He played just the 12 games for the Blues between 1989 and 1994, with injury limiting his appearances. He played alongside some of the best backs to play the game, but Origin has always been won by the forwards. Clyde was a tackling machine and destructive runner, with a brilliant offload. He was a key part of the NSW lineup whenever he donned the blue jersey, earning the respect of friend and foe with the way he played the game.
GEN Y: It's hard to go past Brad Fittler. From those formative first couple of series I mentioned above, through to the incredible comeback story in 2004 -- returning after what we thought was his last Blues series in 2001 and losing, to scoring the final try in a decider three years later. Plus, it was nice to be able to enjoy his talents whilst not in a Roosters jersey.
​GEN Z: It's hard for me to select anyone other than perhaps the greatest prop of his generation: Payne Haas. Already having played 17 matches for the Blues at just 26 years old, Haas never lets his state down. In a side that features the likes of Nathan Cleary, James Tedesco, and Latrell Mitchell, Haas is a lock in every Blues team list, displaying a dominant presence over whoever opposes him.
Who is your favourite Origin villain?
GEN X: I feel privileged to have been there from the start to see the emergence of the greatest State of Origin player of all time and naturally the biggest villain from a New South Wales perspective. Wally Lewis was and remains the embodiment of State of Origin. Not only was he one of the greatest players to ever lace up a boot, but he remains one of the most parochial and passionate Queenslanders to ever walk this earth. If you could zoom in on the chip that Queenslanders carry around on their shoulders at Origin time, it would look like Wally Lewis.
GEN Y: How can you go past Gorden Tallis? There have been better players, sure, and from the perspective of solely how much they tormented NSW you'd have to go with Greg Inglis or Cameron Smith - but think back to the time he rag-dolled Brett Hodgson, or that time he flipped those fans in the crowd off after Queensland won? Or, infamously, when he used the word 'cheat' in a tirade against referee Bill Harrigan, who sent him off for it? We don't really get stuff like that anymore and it's a shame.
​GEN Z: My favourite Origin villain would probably have to be Ben Hunt, especially after that runaway try in the 2022 decider. As a Blues supporter, watching him charge down Nathan Cleary's kick and sprint away to seal the series for Queensland was painful at the time, but it's one of those iconic Origin moments you can't help but respect. It felt like the perfect "villain" moment - Suncorp going crazy as NSW fans just sat there stunned. That try is one of the defining images of modern State of Origin.
What is your favourite State of Origin venue?
GEN X: I have been lucky enough to see New South Wales play at all the Sydney venues, but I am still yet to venture north for a game. The SCG was special, but the viewing was ordinary, the Olympic Stadium massive and atmospheric when packed, but my favourite Origin venue would have to be the old SFS. That place was almost always full, everyone felt like they were on top of the action, and the stadium size and shape contained and amplified the noise. The "New South Wales" or "Blues, Blues, Blues" chants would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and have players run through brick walls for their state.
GEN Y: To my great shame, I've never experienced a men's Origin at Lang Park - so it's Stadium Australia by default. I will say, it's a venue that I really dislike being at for say, regular season Souths games when there's 12,000 people there, but from a strictly atmospheric point of view it's actually quite good when the Blues are playing there. The precinct around it remains very bad, and not a patch on Caxton Street, so I'll have to tick that off one day.
GEN Z: If I'm being honest, my favourite State of Origin venue isn't actually a stadium. What I love about Origin is how close it brings together friends and family, which is why I love watching it at home surrounded by loved ones. Throw the barbecue on, crack open a few beers, and have a few laughs -- there's no better experience than a local get together to watch the Origin, in my opinion.
Has the Origin series improved over the years?
GEN X: Origin has always been played at a speed and intensity that ordinary club football could not emulate. With most of the best players in the world involved, Origin has always been a step up in skill. I believe what has declined over the years has been the passion. The willingness to give your best for your state is still there, the willingness to figuratively die for your state has declined. The palpable hatred for the other state, which would inevitably erupt into brawls, has been diluted by the rules. A player's main weapons in dishing out punishment to his Origin enemy; the driving tackle, the shoulder charge, the occasional high shot and the fist, have all been eradicated from the game. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it has meant less passionate encounters.
GEN Y: This year will be the big test. 2021 was an awful series entirely brought upon by the wretched "six again" rules which were peeled back between 2022 and 2025, but now they're back in full force and the footy has been worse than ever. Most people I know, as well as players past and present, are firmly against the way those rules have been re-introduced this year, but if the Origin spectacle is as bad as the club games have been this season, it might finally press the NRL to admit they've got it wrong.
GEN Z: Yeah, I actually think the Origin series has improved over the years. The intensity and rivalry has always been there, but the modern game feels faster, cleaner and more entertaining to watch. One of the biggest differences is the way the game is officiated now. Origin has become a lot better when referees let the contest breathe a bit more and "put the whistle away" unless something is blatant. That flow makes the games feel more brutal, emotional and high stakes compared to regular-season footy.
