2020 State of Origin series | |
---|---|
Won by | Queensland (22nd title) |
Series margin | 2–1 |
Points scored | 110 |
Attendance | 110,585 (ave. 36,862 per match) |
Player of the series | Cameron Munster |
Top points scorer(s) | Nathan Cleary (18) |
Top try scorer(s) | Josh Addo-Carr (4) |
The 2020 State of Origin series was the 39th annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series, Queensland has won 21 times, NSW 15 times, with two series drawn.
Originally, the series was to have been played in the traditional mid-season slot; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the season to be suspended after round two, the series was moved to November, with the three matches to be played on consecutive Wednesday nights.[1] On 15 May, the NRL announced that the matches would be played on three consecutive Wednesdays after the season's end, these being 4, 11 and 18 November.[2]
For just the third time, a game was played away from Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne, with Game 1 played at Adelaide’s Adelaide Oval.[3][4]
Before the start of the series, Daily Telegraph journalist Dean Ritchie described the Queensland team as the worst ever Maroons side. Queensland would go on to upset a highly fancied New South Wales side and win the series 2–1.[5]
Wednesday, 4 November 2020
7:40pm (ACDT) |
New South Wales | 14 – 18 | Queensland |
---|---|---|
Tries: Josh Addo-Carr (20', 75') 2 Damien Cook (15') 1 Goals: Nathan Cleary 1/3 (16') |
Report 1st: 10 – 0 2nd: 4 – 18 |
Tries: 1 (49') Alexander Brimson 1 (53') Xavier Coates 1 (65') Cameron Munster Goals: 3/4 Daly Cherry-Evans (51', 55', 66') Sin Bin: (80') Felise Kaufusi |
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Attendance: 25,218 Referee: Gerard Sutton Player of the Match: Daly Cherry-Evans |
Wednesday, 11 November 2020
8:10pm (AEDT) |
New South Wales | 34 – 10 | Queensland |
---|---|---|
Tries: Josh Addo-Carr (37', 64') 2 Cody Walker (16') 1 James Tedesco (22') 1 Jack Wighton (42') 1 Daniel Tupou (53') 1 Goals: Nathan Cleary 5/7 (18', 23', 38', 44', 57') Sin Bin: Payne Haas (56') |
Report 1st: 18 – 4 2nd: 16 – 6 |
Tries: 1 (7') Xavier Coates 1 (62') Josh Papalii Goals: 1/2 Valentine Holmes (63') Sin Bin: (56') Tino Fa'asuamaleaui |
Wednesday, 18 November 2020
7:10pm (AEST) |
Queensland | 20 – 14 | New South Wales |
---|---|---|
Tries: Valentine Holmes (3') 1 Edrick Lee (36') 1 Harry Grant (62') 1 Goals: Valentine Holmes 4/4 (5', 38', 57' pen, 63') Sin Bin: Corey Allan (76') |
Report 1st: 12 – 6 2nd: 8 – 8 |
Tries: 1 (8') James Tedesco 1 (65') Daniel Tupou Goals: 3/3 Nathan Cleary (9', 66', 72' pen) |
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 49,155 Referee: Gerard Sutton Player of the Match: Cameron Munster |
Position | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
---|---|---|---|
Fullback | James Tedesco | James Tedesco (c) | |
Wing | Daniel Tupou | ||
Centre | Clinton Gutherson | ||
Centre | Jack Wighton | ||
Wing | Josh Addo-Carr | ||
Five-eighth | Luke Keary | Cody Walker | |
Halfback | Nathan Cleary | ||
Prop | Daniel Saifiti | ||
Hooker | Damien Cook | ||
Prop | Junior Paulo | Payne Haas | |
Second row | Boyd Cordner (c) | Angus Crichton | |
Second row | Tyson Frizell | ||
Lock | Jake Trbojevic | ||
Interchange | Cody Walker | Dale Finucane | |
Interchange | Payne Haas | Junior Paulo | |
Interchange | Cameron Murray | Nathan Brown | |
Interchange | Angus Crichton | Isaah Yeo | |
Coach | Brad Fittler |
1 - As the series was to be played after the Grand Final due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the NSW team was announced in a unique fashion, with players named on the Blues twitter page after their team was eliminated from the NRL finals series.
2 - Boyd Cordner suffered a concussion in Game 1, eventually leading to him announcing his retirement in 2021. It paved the way for James Tedesco to take over the captaincy from Game 2.
Position | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
---|---|---|---|
Fullback | AJ Brimson | Valentine Holmes | Corey Allan |
Wing | Xavier Coates | Valentine Holmes | |
Centre | Dane Gagai | Kurt Capewell | Dane Gagai |
Centre | Kurt Capewell | Dane Gagai | Brenko Lee |
Wing | Phillip Sami | Edrick Lee | |
Five-eighth | Cameron Munster | ||
Halfback | Daly Cherry-Evans (c) | ||
Prop | Christian Welch | Dunamis Lui | Christian Welch |
Hooker | Jake Friend | ||
Prop | Josh Papalii | ||
Second row | Felise Kaufusi | Kurt Capewell | |
Second row | Coen Hess | Jaydn Su'A | Felise Kaufusi |
Lock | Tino Fa'asuamaleaui | ||
Interchange | Ben Hunt | Jaydn Su'A | |
Interchange | Lindsay Collins | Harry Grant | |
Interchange | Jai Arrow | Lindsay Collins | |
Interchange | Jaydn Su'A | Moeaki Fotuaika | Jai Arrow |
Coach | Wayne Bennett |
1 - Kalyn Ponga was originally selected in the squad, but was subsequently forced to withdraw due to injury.
1 – Tom Trbojevic was originally selected in the squad, but was subsequently forced to withdraw due to injury. He was replaced by Zac Lomax.
1 – Kalyn Ponga was originally selected in the squad, but was subsequently forced to withdraw due to injury.
Friday, 13 November
7:45 pm (AEDT) |
Queensland | 24 – 18 | New South Wales |
---|---|---|
Tries: Tamika Upton (14', 43') 2 Tarryn Aiken (51') 1 Steph Hancock (57') 1 Goals: Lauren Brown 4/4 (15', 44', 52', 58') |
Report 1st: 6 – 6 2nd: 18 – 12 |
Tries: 1 (24') Kezie Apps 1 (59') Tiana Penitani 1 (67') Filomina Hanisi 1 (69') Botille Vette-Welsh Goals: 1/1 Melanie Howard (26') 0/2 Quincy Dodd 0/1 Hannah Southwell |