KEY NUMBERS FOR STATE OF ORIGIN III
1. EXPECT A NAILBITER
Of the past seven Origin games played at ANZ Stadium, all have been decided by four points or less. In this time, the winning team has not scored more than 18 points.
2. TEDDY BETTER THAN JOEY, JT AND LOCKY?
NSW fullback James Tedesco has three try assists from games one and two and if he can grab two more, he will equal Andrew Johns (2005), Trent Barret (’02), Darren Lockyer (’10), Johnathan Thurston (’06 and ’10) for most in a series.
3. RECORDS SET TO TUMBLE ON BOTH SIDES
Unless Queensland can score three points or more, it will represent its lowest cumulative points total for a series since 1999 (27). If NSW score more than eight, it will be their most points in a series since scoring 84 in 2005.
4. CHASING A DOUBLE DOUBLE
Dane Gagai, Tom Trbojevic and Josh Addo-Carr are in the running to become the first player in Origin history to score multiple tries in multiple games in a single series if they can bag a double.
5. FREDDY THE BEST SINCE GUS?
Brad Fittler will become only the second NSW coach to win back-to-back series, after Phil Gould, if his side can come out on top. Gould is also the only Blues coach to win more than one series.
6. QLD’S GAME THREE DOMINANCE
NSW have won only 11 of 37 game threes. Queensland have dominated deciders, winning 13 of 19 with the Blues winning four with two draws. The Maroons have also won the last seven deciders in 2006, ’08, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’15 and ’17.
7. QLD NOT AFRAID OF ENEMY SOIL
Of the seven deciders played in NSW, Queensland have a superior record, winning four (1982, 1998, 2008 and ’13), NSW two (1992 and 2004) while there was a draw in 2002.
8. A BIG OCCASION FOR DCE
Queensland skipper Daly Cherry-Evans has a chance to become the first player to win a maiden series as captain since Cameron Smith in 2008.
9. MALONEY STEERING NSW
In his 13 Origin appearances, James Maloney has come up with 12 try assists, meaning he sits third behind Brad Fittler (19) and Andrew Johns (18) on NSW’s all-time list.
10. THE NEWCASTLE CONNECTION
With Mitchell Pearce and David Klemmer joining Daniel Saifiti and Tim Glasby, Newcastle have four Origin representatives for the first time since game one in 2007 (Danny Buderus, Kurt Gidley, Steve Simpson and Jarrod Mullen).