Follow Daily Mail Australia’s live blog for all the updates and scores from the first game of this year’s State of Origin series as the Cane Toads look to avenge last year’s series loss to the Cockroaches.
Channel Nine viewers get a very rude shock
Maroons great Sam Thaiday was doing a live cross from Caxton Street when one fan (pictured bottom right) mimicked a sex act. The former Broncos forward was oblivious, but TV viewers were quick to pick up on the shocking vision, which went for several seconds.
Slater’s take
‘Not too bad’ is the reaction from the Maroons boss, who wants to see some better field position but it proud of his team’s defence as they try to overcome the 3-1 penalty count against them.
NSW 2, Queensland 0
Cleary slots that over with ease.
Captain’s challenge
Mitch Barnett lost the ball and thought it was stripped. The ref thought differently, but the video ref went with the strip when NSW used the challenge, and now the Blues will kick for goal.
Error puts NSW on the attack again
Val Holmes couldn’t handle a kick and NSW get the scrum feed on the 10 metre line.
Poor finish to the Queensland set
Harry Grant’s kick out of dummy half made it way too easy for Brian To’o to field it on the full in the in goal and the pressure on NSW is off.
Another penalty to NSW
A promising set full of ball movement from Queensland comes to nothing courtesy of some ill discipline as NSW are gifted another attacking raid.
However, a massive shot on Moses set a good tone and Cleary sent the ball on to nobody, the Maroons kick for touch and now they’re over the halfway line.
Chance goes begging for NSW
They had great attacking field position there, Cleary found Lomax with a kick on the last, but it all went to hell when the Parra winger tried to offload it and keep the play going.
First melee of the night
The sides scuffle after Pat Carrigan appeared to attempt to rip Dylan Edwards’ head off his shoulders, with the fullback then exchanging shoves with Fa’asuamaleaui.
Kickoff!
A strong first set from the Blues, out near the halfway before Cleary launches a kick to Holmes’ wing.
The teams are on the field
We’re just moments away from kickoff now…
Freddy fanboys it over Barnesy
The legendary frontman was on hand tonight to take the Origin shield onto the ground with help from a couple of young fans. Beforehand, he had a chat with Brad Fittler, who looked like the president of the Cold Chisel Fan Club.
Laurie Daley’s last word
The Blues boss has just told Phil Gould it’s all about physicality, which is the theme they’ve been stressing in camp all week.
A great – and strange – omen for the Blues
Turns out NSW have won every Origin that’s ever been played on May 28 – emerging victorious in 1985, 1997 and 2014. All those matches were played in Brisbane and all of them were series openers.
Fans have a field day with Danika’s slip of the tongue
Danika Mason greeted Channel Nine viewers by introducing Maroons legend turned commentator Cameron Smith as ‘Cameron Slater’ – and fans picked that ball up and ran with it.
Highlights from the NSW team introduction
We just saw Latrell Mitchell say his first words since his self-imposed media ban came into play as he announced himself on Nine’s coverage and reminded fans he started out with the Taree Red Rovers.
And prop Max King, who’ll be coming off the bench tonight, apparently prefers to be called ‘Maxwell’.
Queensland’s final team
Billy Slater hasn’t made any changes, so the Maroons will run out like this…
How hard is it for NSW to win back-to-back at Suncorp?
The Cockroaches haven’t done it since 1997-98. That’s how hard it is.
To make matters worse for Blues fans, the Maroons have won five of the last six series openers.
The Blues reveal their final team
No late changes for coach Laurie Daley’s side, with Stephen Crichton named to start despite being under an injury cloud in the lead-up.
The Maroons get some cross-code backing
The Brisbane Lions wore the Queensland strip at their captain’s run this afternoon ahead of their match with Essendon tomorrow night…
How’s the weather in Brisbane?
There’s only a five per cent chance of rain and a quick look at the weather radar shows it’s all clear in the Queensland capital.
Maroons star’s social media gets hacked just before the game
Queensland forward Lindsay Collins’ has become the victim of an Instagram hack just hours before kickoff.
The front-rower’s account featured a bizarre message stating he’d bought a brand-new Mercedes G-Wagon (pictured below), worth anywhere from $246,000 to $413,000 – and that it was paid for with Bitcoin mining.
Collins’ Instagram story was also full of posts about the new vehicle, including one with a video appearing to show live tracking of how much profit he’d made from cryptocurrency.
The Roosters star only posts on Instagram very rarely and the Mercedes additions are nothing like what he usually shares with his followers.
Statue, Wally?
The Maroons fans are already in fine form, with these Cane Toad diehards doing their best Wally Lewis impersonations in front of the famous statue of the King. Think they got their moustaches from Merv Hughes, though…
The boys are back in town
Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans and the rest of the team have arrived at Suncorp, hell-bent on reversing the result of the last Origin match at the ground when NSW sealed the series in an all-time classic last year.
Good evening!
Well, here we go! State of Origin 2025 is finally here and the atmosphere is building nicely at the Suncorp Stadium, as Queensland look to wrestle the shield back off the Blues.
Around the ground, there are plenty of fans lapping up the atmosphere already!
Kick off is at 8.05pm – so stay with us as we’ll be bringing you all the action, build-up and news ahead of tonight’s huge clash!
