Head-To-Head: New South Wales v Queensland

- The Blues have won just five of 21 Origin deciders.

The Blues had lost the last seven Origin deciders before beating the Maroons 26-20 in Game 3 to win the 2019 series. No Blues fan needs reminding of their last series-decider against the "worst Queensland team of all time."

- Throughout the 39 Origin series so far, the team that wins Game 1 has gone on to win the series 29 times.

Initially scheduled to be played in Melbourne, Game 1 of the 2021 series has been moved to Townsville to give an underdog Maroons side a significant boost. Still, the Blues are heavy favourites to win Game 1 on the road which will put them in the box seat to take the series.

- New South Wales have 19 wins, nine losses and one draw at Stadium Australia.

It's not quite the fortress Suncorp Stadium is to the Maroons in recent years, but the Blues have a strong record at home themselves. They won't, however, play at Stadium Australia until Game 3 of the 2021 series.

- The series has ended 3-0 only seven times in 38 years

The Blues were heavy favourites and expected to win it 3-0 in 2020. This year, a New South Wales 2-1 win is the favourite in the 'Correct Series Score' market.

New South Wales In Numbers

- Michael O'Connor has scored the most points  in a Blues jersey: 129 points

A relative unknown to the newer State of Origin fan, O'Connor kicked 42 goals, one field goal, and scored 11 tries in his 19-game Origin career from 1985-1991. Perhaps a chance at taking the record himself one day, Nathan Cleary has scored 32 points in eight games through 16 goals.

- O'Connor's 11 Origin tries is equal with Jarryd Hayne as the most for the state

Hayne played in four extra games to score his 11 tries but Josh Addo-Carr is primed to beat them both. The Foxx has scored eight tries in just nine State of Origin appearances.

- Paul Gallen has the most losses in a Blues jumper: 15 losses

As accomplished as Gallen's career is, he's had some rotten luck. Not only does he have the most losses in NRL history, he also came up against the best Queensland team ever for the best part of a decade.

- Brad Fittler has the most wins of any New South Wales player: 17 wins

He may have lost 14 games along the way, but the now-Blues coach won more games against Queensland as a player than any other. 

Queensland In Numbers

- Cameron Smith is the most capped Queensland player with 42 appearances

Making his State of Origin debut at just 19 years old, Cameron Smith didn't retire from the Origin arena until shortly after his 34th birthday.

- Greg Inglis' 18 tries are the most of all players from either state

Perhaps Dane Gagai is the one to get past Greg Inglis? The Rabbitoh has 11 tries in 16 Origin appearances. With Kalyn Ponga under an injury cloud and Gagai expected to move out to the wing, he is likely to see an opportunity close to the line at some point in Game 1.

- Johnathan Thurston leads all players in scoring with 220 points

A beneficiary of Queensland's golden years, Thurston kicked 99 goals (the most in Origin history), two field goals and scored five tries throughout his 37-game Maroons career. Valentine Holmes is the highest current point-scorer in the squad with 58 points through nine tries and 11 goals.

- No current Maroon has kicked a field goal in a State of Origin match

With so many matches going close, field goals are a crucial part of the game. Should it come down to needing a single point in 2021, Daly Cherry-Evans will likely be the one to kick it. He's slotted 22 at club level. 

Although, Valentine Holmes did put his boot through the ball to kick his sixth NRL field goal before joining the Maroons in camp this year.

The Cameron Smith Section

He's got that many records, Cameron Smith needs his own area in this piece.

• Most matches for Queensland (42)
• First man to play 40 Origin matches
• Most Wally Lewis Medals (4) for player of the series
• Most match wins (26)
• Most series wins (11)

For the Punters

- 16 of the last 23 games excluding dead rubbers have all gone Under the points total

With scoring up in the NRL this season, the Points Total for Game 1 of this series is up to 42.5 points.

- Before both scoring 20+ in Game 3 in 2019, no team had scored more than 20 points in any of the prior ten games at Stadium Australia. 

While the Blues piled up 34 points in Game 2 last year, it's traditionally a low-scoring venue.

- 16 of the last 17 series openers have been decided by 10 points or less.

The last time Game 1 ended in a blowout was in 2017 when the Blues ambushed the Maroons in the second half to win 28-4. Queensland won the series 2-1.

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