State of Origin rivals continue six-year-old prank war

These former work colleagues sure know how to rile each other up with it comes to rugby league...

STATE OF PLAY: Leanne Mitchell and Lyndal Calleja are two of Chinchilla's biggest rivals when it comes to State of Origin. Picture: Kate McCormack

FROM discovering your front yard has been painted blue to delivering unwanted supporter jerseys, the pranks between former workmates Leanne Mitchell and Lyndal Calleja have become more elaborate over the six years since their Origin rivalry kicked off.

The two rugby league-mad Chinchilla women have been keeping the New South Wales and Queensland rivalry alive with a myriad of practical jokes on each other throughout the years.

The former workmates from Chinchilla say Origin time is always an interesting part of their year.

"It all started when she wore that awful Parramatta Eels jersey to work one day," long-time Maroons fan Ms Calleja said.

"I really disliked Jarryd Hayne at the time so I guess that's when we had to draw a line in the sand with our friendship."

Ms Mitchell, a proud New South Wales fan from Sydney, admits her favourite prank to date involved Blues-themed streamers, balloons and a touch of spray paint on Ms Calleja's front yard.

"I love taking it one step further every year to see if I can rile her up a bit more," Ms Mitchell laughed.

During the first round, Ms Mitchell reached out to Chinchilla News in order to up the ante for the second game of 2019.

"Another year I decorated her entire car in NSW supporter gear - seeing the look on her face as she drove home that day was priceless," Ms Mitchell said.

"It doesn't really worry me when I know we are going to reclaim the title this year," Ms Calleja responded.

But Ms Mitchell was confident her team wasn't ready to be counted out of the running just yet.

"We've got the home ground advantage working for us so I think I know who I'll be putting my money on," she said.

After a disappointing round for Queensland last night in Perth the playing field is level once more, with just the third round in Sydney left to decide this year's Origin fate.

As for next year's big prank, Ms Mitchell said she was still plotting it but wasn't too shy when it came to dropping some hints.

"I can tick the local paper of my bucket list now... maybe it's time I upped the stakes and got a radio station involved."