State of Origin 2025: First blood to Qld then NSW have chance to hoist the shield on home turf

The Blues will get the chance to celebrate a State of Origin series win on home soil for the first time in six years after the NRL pencilled in the 2025 series schedule. DATES REVEALED HERE

The Blues will get the opportunity to hoist the State of Origin shield on home soil for the first time in six years after the NRL pencilled in dates for the 2025 series.

This masthead can reveal the NRL is on the verge of announcing its 2025 Premiership draw and State of Origin series fixtures.

Clubs have been told the official schedule reveal is expected from League Central within the next fortnight.

However the NRL has all but locked in the dates and venues for its flagship Origin series between Queensland and NSW, with the three games remaining Wednesday night fixtures.

Barring any eleventh-hour changes or conflicts in the NRL draw, the 2025 Origin series will kick-off at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on May 28.

The series then returns to Perth for the first time since 2022, with Game Two at Optus Stadium on June 18.

The series finale will be played at Accor Stadium in Sydney on July 9.

The NSW Blues are the reigning champions after snapping Queensland’s two-year streak with a rare decider win in Brisbane this year.

While the Blues have won three of the past six series, they haven’t been presented with the Origin shield on home turf since the 2019 decider.

Blues captain Jake Trbojevic hoisted the shield this year to a near empty Suncorp crowd after the Maroons lost the decider 14-4 in front of their home fans.

The decider result meant the Maroons missed out on a hat-trick of series wins in the first three years of coach Billy Slater’s reign.

While Slater will be back next year for a fourth series in charge of Queensland, the Blues are currently without a coach following Michael Maguire’s move to the Brisbane Broncos.

The Maroons are looking for redemption next year after a disappointing 2024 series.

Maguire spent one year in charge of the Blues, replacing Brad Fittler, before jumping at the chance to return to the NRL and take over from Kevin Walters in Brisbane.

The NSWRL have begun the process of assessing potential candidates to replace Maguire and will ramp up their pursuit in the coming weeks.

The board hopes to have a coach appointed before the New Year.

Whoever takes over NSW will confront a Queensland team stinging after losing a decider in Brisbane.

The Maroons were without a host of quality players for this year’s series in Cameron Munster, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Tom Flegler and Tom Gilbert while Dally M Medal champion Kalyn Ponga only played one game.

Slater will be hoping for more luck on the injury front when he guides Queensland into this year’s series, particularly with the crucial first game in Brisbane.

Another loss on home soil to open the series would make it difficult for the Maroons to claw back the shield with games in Perth and Sydney to follow.

Originally published as State of Origin 2025: First blood to Qld then NSW have chance to hoist the shield on home turf