The 2026 State of Origin series was the 45th annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales men's rugby league teams. Before this series, Queensland had won 25 times, and New South Wales 17 times, with two series drawn. The first game was hosted at Accor Stadium on 27 May. The Melbourne Cricket Ground hosted the second match of the series and its seventh ever State of Origin match, attracting a record Origin crowd of 91,671. Suncorp Stadium hosted the third and deciding match of the series after both sides won a game apiece.
Game I In the lead up to the first match of the series, New South Wales coach Laurie Daley selected a 20-man squad which included six possible debutants. Those included Tongan international Tolu Koula, hooker Blayke Brailey, and following changes to the eligibility rules, New Zealand international Addin Fonua-Blake and England international Victor Radley. Former NSW captain James Tedesco returned to the squad after not being selected since game one of the 2024 series, with Penrith Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards dropped from the squad.
For Queensland, coach Billy Slater overlooked 2025 Clive Churchill Medal winner Reece Walsh in favour of Kalyn Ponga. Slater selected Sam Walker at halfback to replace injured North Queensland Cowboys halfback Tom Dearden who had won the Wally Lewis Medal in 2025. Slater also named a number of potential debutants as well as New Zealand international Briton Nikora. Days after his diagnosis with Motor Neuron Disease and subsequent immediate retirement from the sport, Queensland made former Origin player Jai Arrow their honorary "20th man."
During the team preparations, NSW halfback Mitchell Moses was ruled out of the match due to a hamstring injury. In his place Ethan Strange was elevated to the starting line-up to make his Origin debut.
Referee Ashley Klein was appointed to officiate his 21st Origin match, equalling the record of Bill Harrigan. It was Klein's thirteenth consecutive appointment to officiate a State of Origin match.
In wet conditions at Accor Stadium, Robert Toia scored the first try of the match in the tenth minute, grounding the ball in the in-goal area following a deft grubber kick from Sam Walker. The try was converted by Walker to give Queensland a 6–0 lead. The Maroons doubled their lead in the 14th minute after Queensland's backline through Kalyn Ponga, Selwyn Cobbo, and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow set up Queensland with field position following a high kick from Nathan Cleary that went uncontested at the back. forward Thomas Flegler scoring the try adjacent to the posts, running off a pass from Walker after Harry Grant broke out of a tackle to offload. Queensland scored a third straight try in the 17th minute when Tabuai-Fidow grounded the ball from a Cameron Munster grubber kick that bounced through the NSW line. Queensland's lead inside the first 20 minutes was 18–0.
Another error from NSW provided Queensland with an opportunity to extend their lead, Walker converting a penalty goal attempt for Queensland to take the score to 20–0.
A big tackle from Blues debutant Ethan Strange on Queensland captain Munster in the 33rd minute forced an error when it looked like the Maroons could score again. That tackle seemed to spark the Blues who went down the field to score their first try through Hudson Young. The forward diving onto the ball after chasing through a kick from Cleary that looked to be heading towards the dead-ball line. Cleary converted the try to bring the score to 20–6, which would be the half time score with no further points added in the final ten minutes before the break. Queensland had 55% of the possession in the first half, completing 85% of their sets, while the Blues had completed 76% of their sets.
Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga was controversially sent off in the 57th minute for a shoulder charge on NSW winger Tolu Koula. Ponga was the seventh player to be sent off in Origin history, and the fourth in three years by referee Ashley Klein. Some commentators like Corey Parker and Greg Alexander suggesting that Klein should have sent Ponga to the sin bin for 10 minutes, rather than making a "game-changing moment." The NRL later backed the decision of Klein to send off Ponga after Koula suffered a concussion from the incident, with Ponga also fined 23% off his match payment under the NRL Judiciary rules governing Origin matches.
Following the send off of Ponga, and the subsequent melee, NSW were able to heavily attack the Queensland line. Strange looked to have scored his first Origin try after bumping out of tackle from Munster close to the line, but the try was disallowed by the video referee for an obstruction play from Haumole Olakau'atu on Grant. A few minutes later another chance for NSW was squandered due to a forward pass from Stephen Crichton. The Blues would not be denied when Crichton made a break down the flank, passing back to Strange to score in the 63rd minute. Cleary missed the conversion attempt to make the score 20–10.
After another break out wide, NSW bombed a clear try scoring opportunity when Olakau'atu could not cleanly handle a low pass from James Tedesco, knocking the ball forward in the wet conditions. With a ten-point lead entering the final ten minutes of the match, Queensland were trying to hang on to their advantage. A 40–20 kick from Cleary that went close to the Queensland 10m line gave NSW advantageous field position. Cleary scored NSW's third try in the 72nd minute, running a diagonal line to score close to the posts from a pass from Blayke Brailey.
With 100 seconds remaining, a midfield high kick from Cleary positioned just outside the 30m line landed just short of the Queensland line, Tedesco outjumping Tabuai-Fidow to the ball to pivot over the line to score the try to level the match. Cleary converted the try with seconds remaining to win the match 22–20.
For his role in the second half comeback, NSW halfback Nathan Cleary was named the player of the match. Cleary scored a try, kicked a key 40–20 kick and had two try assists.
Game II Leading in the series, NSW made a number of changes to their squad for the second match of the series played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). After missing the first match with a knee injury, forward Payne Haas returned to the starting team, as did Mitchell Moses after recovering from a hamstring strain. Moses had not played a NRL match since mid-May. The selection of Moses meant that Ethan Strange moved out of the starting lineup, despite his try in the first match in Sydney. Coach Laurie Daley suggested in the lead-up that he would use Strange off the bench in the forward pack.
Initially selected in the NSW squad to replace the injured Stephen Crichton, Casey McLean was forced to withdraw after suffering a quadriceps injury during team preparations. The injury forced a reshuffle to the NSW backline, with Mark Nawaqanitawase moving from the reserves to the wing to make his Origin debut, with Tolu Koula shifted to his preferred position at centre. Despite his good form for Manly, NSW forward Haumole Olakau'atu was relegated to 20th man, with Newcastle Knights forward Dylan Lucas elevated to the squad to make his Origin debut.
Queensland made only minimal changes to its squad for the match in Melbourne. Dolphins forward Kulikefu Finefeuiaki was named to make his Origin debut, replacing Patrick Carrigan who suffered an ankle injury playing for the Brisbane Broncos after the first match of the series. Carrigan was expected to miss a number of NRL matches after having surgery to repair an ankle syndesmosis injury.
Coach Billy Slater brought in Reece Walsh and Murray Taulagi as potential interchange players in place of Ezra Mam and Gehamat Shibasaki. Slater suggesting before the match that Walsh could have a 'roving role' should he be utilised from the bench.
In the days before the match, the father of Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Fereti died from cancer. Fa'asuamaleaui remained with his family before the match, travelling to Melbourne to rejoin his teammates to take his place in the Queensland team.
Despite the controversy around decisions made during Game I and an online petition which garnered over 25,000 signatures, Ashley Klein was appointed as the referee. Both coaches voiced their support for Klein before the match after Klein's gambling history was revealed in the media.
In clear conditions, a new record for an Origin match of 91,671 people were in attendance at the MCG.
After receiving the ball from the kickoff, Queensland received the first penalty of the match in the fifth minute when Nathan Cleary was ruled to have impeded Harry Grant while covering at marker in defence. Sam Walker took the penalty shot at goal from about 18m from the line adjacent to the goal posts to give Queensland a 2–0 lead. From the restart, Maroons forward Thomas Flegler immediate dropped the ball, with Blues winger Mark Nawaqanitawase picking up the loose ball. Nawaqanitawase offloaded in a desperate three-man Queensland tackle to Kotoni Staggs to dive over and score a try. Cleary kicked the conversion attempt from near the sideline to hand NSW an unlikely 6–2 lead.
A high tackle from NSW forward Hudson Young on Walker sparked a melee in the 15th minute, after Briton Nikora took exception to the tackle from Young. In the 21st minute, a grubber kick from Cleary ricocheted back to him off the Queensland defenders close to their line, the halfback able to pass the ball out to an unmarked Nawaqanitawase to dive over to score a try in the corner. With a successful conversion, NSW extended their lead to 12–2.
With less than 15 minutes to play before half time, a fluid passing movement that started inside their own half, Queensland's Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow brushed off two defenders near midfield to give the Maroons attacking field position. On the next play, Harry Grant caught NSW on the short side, passing to Cameron Munster who was able to offload for Walker. The halfback combining with Max Plath to send Trent Loiero to cross the line for his first Origin try. Queensland cut the scoreboard deficit to four points, although captain Munster was temporarily forced from the field for a head injury assessment. Mark Nawaqanitawase went close to scoring a second try for NSW in the 30th minute, but planted the ball on the touch in-goal line under pressure from Selwyn Cobbo. In the final minutes of the first half both teams had chances to score, only for strong defence to deny those opportunities. NSW would lead 12–8 at the break.
After half time, Queensland took the lead in the 47th minute when Selwyn Cobbo scored the first of his three tries for the match. Cobbo dived over the line to score in the corner following a fifth tackle play that included two kicks, latching onto the second from Munster. Cobbo had his second try five minutes later when Queensland put together a set play from a scrum win 10m out from the NSW line. Fullback Kalyn Ponga was heavily involved in the play, with Cobbo able to beat the tackle from Nawaqanitawase to score. Walker's successful conversion attempt providing the Maroons with a 18–12 advantage. Queensland were full of running and a line break from Grant set up another try on the next play when Munster launched a cross-field kick for Jojo Fifita to acrobatically outjump Brian To'o to score on Queensland's right edge.
NSW were able to score the next try through Nawaqanitawase in the 60th minute, the winger showing footwork to dive over in the corner for his second try. That try was converted by Cleary to bring the Blues deficit to eight points. Queensland were able to hit back shortly after when Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow picked up a grubber kick from Cobbo to score his 13th Origin try. In the lead up to the try, NSW centre Kotoni Staggs tackled Ponga high after the fullback had passed the ball to spark another melee. Referee Ashley Klein sent Staggs to the sin bin following the incident.