The 2026 State of Origin series is here – and the build-up to game one in Sydney has been dominated but a host of selection gambles and curious personnel calls by NSW and Queensland.   After a demoralising series defeat last year to surrender the Origin shield, the pressure is Blues coach Laurie Daley and linchpin Nathan Cleary. But starting things off at Accor Stadium could provide the necessary advantage to get the jump on Billy Slater’s Maroons.   NSW Blues vs QLD Maroons Wednesday 27th May 8:05 PM (Accor Stadium) After cruising to a convincing 18-6 series-opening win at Suncorp Stadium in 2025, NSW completely imploded. The Blues…

A head knock ruled Cronulla hooker Blayke Brailey out of Magic Round – ending the longest active streak of consecutive NRL matches at 139.   Any disappointment the durable No.9 may have been harbouring was surely tempered by his NSW Origin call-up for next week’s series opener. Ironically, his run of games with the Sharks would likely have been interrupted by being unavailable for the club’s fixture prior to the second Origin.   Brailey had pushed his way into the top 10 in premiership history for most games in row, keeping some impressive ironman company.   Luke Douglas – 215 games   Hardworking Titans prop Luke Douglas claimed ownership of…

Jason Taumalolo became North Queensland Cowboys’ longest-serving player in Round 10, overtaking his former premiership captain Johnathan Thurston with his 295th NRL appearance.   But the powerhouse veteran forward’s big night was soured somewhat by the result – a wild 33-30 golden point loss to Parramatta at home.   Taumalolo joined a lengthy list of players whose monumental achievements haven’t been accompanied by the outcome on the scoreboard that they deserved.   Geoff Gerard   Vagaries around the inclusion of replacement appearances meant indefatigable Penrith forward Geoff Gerard had actually become the first player to make 300 premiership appearances the previous season, but the unprecedented milestone was marked in a late-1989 clash.   The former international – a…

The tries have dried up for Penrith winger Tom Jenkins in the past fortnight, but ‘Milky’ is still setting a historic pace that could see him join the top echelon of single-season try-poachers in premiership history.   Jenkins crossed an outrageous 16 times in the first seven rounds of the 2026 season – collecting six doubles and a four-try haul – to set his sights on tryscoring greatness.   At this pace, the somewhat unlikely Panthers star is well on track to become only the fourth player to reach the 30-try mark in a season…while Dave Brown’s seemingly untouchable first-grade record is not out of the question.   Dave…

Warriors front-rower Jackson Ford is shaping as one of the great Dally M Medal stories, racing to a shock lead with 28 votes after seven rounds – six more than any player has managed since the two-judge system was introduced in 2023.   The relatively unheralded workhorse has collected the maximum six votes in three of the Warriors’ wins, and nabbed five votes in their other two victories.   Whether Ford can maintain his lead remains to be seen – megastar Nathan Cleary lurks four votes behind in second place – but at this point a top-five finish is well within the NSW Origin hopeful’s sights.   We’re looking back at some of…

The Warriors’ emphatic 38-14 victory at AAMI Park last Saturday ended 11 years of pain at the hands of Melbourne Storm in spectacular style.   The Storm’s 17-match winning streak against the Warriors was the equal-sixth-longest in premiership history between two clubs, the longest in more than 50 years and three victories more than any other rivalry run in the NRL era.   Unsurprisingly, a deep sense of relief and elation washed over the Warriors’ fanbase after snuffing out the hoodoo. In honour of the milestone result, we’re reliving some of the most notable drought-breaking wins from down the decades.   University v South Sydney (1933)  The University club won just 20 percent of…