STATE OF ORIGIN

IS this the year that Queensland’s decade-plus State of Origin dominance finally ends?

Ladbrokes punters are not so sure. NSW are clear $1.60 favourites for the series opener at the MCG on Wednesday following the exit of so much Origin experience in the Queensland camp, led by former skipper Cameron Smith. But the Blues have made a habit of letting punters down in recent years and the Maroons have won six of the past nine series openers, as part of their run of 11 series wins in the past 12 years.

Ladbrokes have taken far more individual bets for Queensland to win Game One but all the big money has been with the Blues, and they account for 75 per cent of the hold.

The bet on first try scorer is always a popular one for Origin games and Ladbrokes has an excellent offer for Game One – if your selection scores the first or second try, you will get paid as a winner.

The flying Josh Addo-Carr is a narrow favourite at $10 from fellow Blues debutants Tom Trbojevic ($11), Latrell Mitchell ($12) and James Roberts ($12), while Dane Gagai ($12) and Valentine Holmes ($12) are the pick of the Queenslanders. Man of the match is another competitive betting market and James Maloney ($8) is currently a narrow favourite from Greg Inglis ($9). But it is the big boppers in the forwards who have attracted the early interest in this market, with one punter placing $100 on David Klemmer at big odds of $51.