The biggest rivalry in the sport of Rugby League kicks off on Wednesday night, as the Queensland Maroons host the New South Wales Blues at Suncorp Stadium in Game 1 of the State of Origin. Fresh off their come-from-behind 2-1 series victory last season, can the Blues back it up, or will the Maroons bounce back to take the Shield? Let’s dig in for a preview, and a look at the Drafstars contests.
Draftstars have several contests on offer for Origin 1, including a massive $40k prize for the big game:
SOO $40,000 – Qld vs NSW
There are plenty of other contests that will tickle your fancy, so get involved and make the greatest game of all even more exciting. And if you're new to the Daily Fantasy scene, simply join Draftstars via this link!
NRL Daily Fantast Lineup Tips: State of Origin Game 1
Queensland vs New South Wales: Our Value Fantasy Picks
Stephen Crichton ($8,600) is cheap again for Origin, and in order to get as many guns into your team as possible, you need some value elsewhere. Crichton has shown he can get the job done at the top level for years and has a great ceiling in my opinion. Doesn’t shirk his job in the centres in attack or defence, and whilst he is prone to making the odd error, if his plays work out, they can be definitive in the outcome of games, and certainly help out his owners. Known for his sleight of hand, can easily get you some line break assists and try assists against a Maroons defence that is tough to break down.
Zac Lomax ($9,610) showed last season that the big stage does not scare him in the slightest, as he was one of the Blues’ best all series. We are looking at a nice right edge stack here for the Blues, as I see Moses, Crichton, and Lomax as a deadly combination on that side of the field. Whilst the halves will likely be quite fluid given there are two halfbacks on the field for the Blues, I’d have to imagine Moses will play predominately on the right, and Cleary on the left with Mitchell and To’o. Either way, I see Lomax getting a meat pie or two, and he won’t be left wanting for involvement in the dirty stuff either. Great buy at the price.
Queensland vs New South Wales: Our Mid Price Fantasy Picks
Cam Munster (13,010) is relatively cheap, given how good he always plays during Origin. Whilst the like of Cleary and Moses should score higher than Munster on average, don’t discount the Maroons’ champion from scoring a try or two, or setting up several on his way to leading Queensland to another underdog win. The fact he didn’t play Origin last season has me loving Munster even more, as he will be looking to put his stamp on this series early, especially given the Maroons host in Game 1, in what looms as almost a must win.
Angus Crichton ($13,190) is another guy who is made for Origin. Whilst he has been solid for the Roosters this season, Crichton turns into a completely different animal during Origin, and he seems to be given the responsibility or creating second phase play, outlined by his series leading 10 offloads in last year’s Origin series. He was also third in runs and running metres and will get through his fair share of work on the left side of the field. Crichton is also a great ball runner, and running off the likes of Cleary and Moses, whilst having Latrell Mitchell outside him drawing defenders in, Crichton will have a great chance at scoring during the series. Expect a big game 1 from the Storm superstar.
Queensland vs New South Wales: Our Premium Fantasy Picks
Payne Haas ($18,530) is coming into the game with an injury concern, which certainly makes me a little hesitant with this selection. However, I don’t believe Haas would play if he wasn’t close to 100%, and if he plays, he is the best forward in the game by a long way. His minutes in Origin last season were solid, averaging 54 minutes per game. I believe he plays more in this series, and given the makeup of this bench, could easily push up towards 65-70 minutes of game time. Whilst Haas’ numbers were good in last season’s Origin (2nd in offloads, 6th in tackles, 8th in both running metres and tackle breaks), he will do better this season in my opinion. Can’t afford to leave him out, unless you are convinced the injury is worse than thought.
Mitch Moses ($15,450) has been named at five eighth for the Blues, but I don’t see it panning out this way. I believe he could well be used as the primary long ball kicker for the team, and Cleary may well be the more likely “running five eighth” in this team. As outlined above, I like the right edge of the Blues as a stack and believe Moses will play the majority of the game on that side of the field. The other thing I like about Moses, is he could well fly under the radar of the Maroons, with a lot of attention surely being directed towards Cleary. Moses showed last season in game 3 he is made for Origin, and I wouldn’t be surprised if once again he showed how good he really is.
Suggested Draftstars Team
NRL State of Origin Betting Markets
Odds: Queensland ($2.30) vs New South Wales ($1.62)
Line: New South Wales (-3.5)
Points: 38.5
Also, be sure to check out our full NRL State of Origin Prediction & Tips for each match. Our experts break down each game of the series and highlight some key bets that you can follow!
