The 2011 State of Origin series was the 30th annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams contested under "State of Origin" selection rules. For the third successive year a Queensland victory set a new record for consecutive State of Origin titles, reaching six. Game I was played in Brisbane, Game II in Sydney and Game III was again played in Brisbane. Game III was also Australia's most watched sports TV programme for the year 2011.
Mal Meninga continued on as coach of Queensland whilst New South Wales had chosen to follow the successful Maroons approach by appointing Ricky Stuart as a full-time Origin coach (with no other club commitments) in an attempt to rebuild a winning mentality for the team and the State, after being beaten in the 2010 series 3–0 for the first time since 1995. Despite a much improved New South Wales outfit, Queensland stretched their series-winning streak to six titles, securing it with a 34–24 victory in the third and deciding game of the series in front of a record equalling 52,498 fans at Suncorp Stadium. The series also marked Queensland skipper Darren Lockyer's final series, winning in his 36th and final State of Origin game. Queensland hookerCameron Smith was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as Player of the Series.
The Queensland forwards led by Petero Civoniceva and Matthew Scott bustled the New South Wales pack from the kick off and appeared to have the upper hand in the early stage of the game enabling the Maroons to run off each other and take ground. When Johnathan Thurston scored in the fifth minute off a Cameron Smith grubber it looked as though the Blues could be in for a long night. But the New South Wales team galvanised its defence and managed to hold Queensland out for the entire remainder of the first half in spite of Queensland forcing repeated sets close to the Blues tryline through the excellent kicking performances of Thurston and Darren Lockyer. New South Wales gained composure as the half went on and put pressure on the Queensland defence at times, although scoring opportunities were few and the kicking games of Soward and Mitchell Pearce were covered well by the classy Queensland backs. New South Wales would have taken heart from the 0–6 scoreline at the break.
Six minutes into the second half a grubber kick for the corner from Cooper Cronk for the Maroons looked to be covered by Brett Morris but when Morris opted to shield instead of taking the ball, Queensland debutante winger Jharal Yow Yeh pounced and took the scoreline to 10–0 to Queensland. From the 50th to the 60th minute Queensland threw everything at the Blues and pinpoint kick finishes ensured repeat sets. New South Wales at one point defended six consecutive sets, tackling heroically and solidly showing the kind of understanding and team communication that would be expected of well seasoned club combinations. Thurston missed a penalty goal from close range and as if buoyed by the reprieve New South Wales came to life turning defence into attack and scoring two tries quickly in the 65th then 69th minutes of the match. Firstly a missed tackle from Civoniceva on Greg Bird created an opportunity for Pearce to collect a pass from Bird and score under the posts. Then four minutes later Blues speedster Michael Jennings scored and New South Wales took a 12–10 lead with ten minutes to play.
After an immediate response from the Queensland forwards who took the play into Blues territory the senior Queensland playmakers took control and surprised New South Wales with a simple Smith to Thurston to Lockyer play who in turn put an inside ball to Slater to score in the 73rd minute. Thurston converted and after a final period when the Maroons showed their experience in defence, the match finished with a 16–12 scoreline to Queensland and a 1–0 start to the series.
Game II
The New South Wales' selected squad for Game Two saw numerous changes, mainly due to injury concerns and position transfers. Backs Brett Morris, Michael Jennings and prop Kade Snowden all missed selection due to injuries suffered in their previous club games. Blues FullbackJosh Dugan later joined the injury list shortly following selection, injuring his ankle only hours before the squad was announced. He was replaced by experienced Sydney Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello (the only remaining survivor from New South Wales' last series victory in 2005), playing his first Origin game since 2007. Jarryd Hayne and William Hopoate joined the squad to replace the injured Morris and Jennings respectively, with Hopoate becoming New South Wales' third youngest player to debut into the squad, behind Brad Fittler and Jarryd Hayne who also both debuted at 19.
Other notable inclusions included utility Kurt Gidley and backrowers Anthony Watmough and Luke Lewis on the interchange. Blues Captain Paul Gallen was chosen to play at prop at game II despite being a recognized back rower, at the expense of Jason King. Gallen's reassignment saw a reshuffle in the back row with Ben Creagh filling in at second row and Greg Bird covering in at lock.
Queensland's Johnathan Thurston landed a penalty goal 2 minutes in to make it 0-2 before the game had clicked into gear. Cameron Smith's try and 'JT' scoring the conversion made it 0-8 and the Blues were looking doomed. Luke Lewis caught a Mitchell Pearce bomb and Jamie Soward curled a terrific sideline conversion to make it 8–6.
Desperate to avoid losing a sixth consecutive series, the Blues, trailing 8–6 at halftime managed to keep Queensland scoreless in the second half whilst at the same time scoring tries through debutant William Hopoate and Anthony Minichiello to score a series-levelling 18–8 victory. Minichiello was one of only two NSW players who played in the last victorious NSW side, the other being Mark Gasnier. The Maroons' loss was their first in Sydney since Game I, 2008, their equal lowest score at the venue since Game I, 2004 and their lowest score in any Origin game since Game III, 2007.
The Australian National Anthem was performed by the Sydney Children's Choir and the Gondwana National Indigenous Children's Choir.
Game III
Queensland, in its bid to win a sixth straight series, recalled Justin Hodges from injury, thus relegating Dane Nielsen to 18th man. Suspension to David Taylor also led to the re-selection of Jacob Lillyman back onto the Maroons' bench. New South Wales chose to pick an initial squad of 20 due to injury concerns to several players. Keith Galloway made his Origin debut from the bench at the expense of Trent Merrin, with Merrin called back into the squad as 18th man as cover for Beau Scott and Glenn Stewart. Only hours before the match it was confirmed that both Michael Jennings and Beau Scott both succumbed to their injuries and made late withdrawals, forcing Jarryd Hayne to move from wing to centre with Brett Morris starting on the wing and Glenn Stewart replacing Scott.[1]
Queensland scored four quick tries within 20 minutes to shoot out to a 24–0 lead with five minutes to play to half-time, before two late NSW tries got the margin back to 24–10 by half-time. But then the Maroons turned on the after-burners with two more tries, and another two late tries to the Blues (including an eight-point try to Jarryd Hayne) reduced the final margin to 34–24, ensuring yet another Queensland series victory, their sixth in succession, and sentencing New South Wales to yet another year in the Origin doldrums. There is set to be another review of the New South Wales operations after yet another series loss.
One sour note for the Maroons was a potentially season-ending injury to halfback Johnathan Thurston, who is the most likely to inherit Darren Lockyer's No. 6 jersey for the 2012 series. It was later revealed that Thurston suffered a less serious knee injury, ruling him out for up to a month and triggering a form slump for his club the North Queensland Cowboys (which fell from the top four at the time of Thurston's injury to a final position of 7th at season's end). Also, captain-in-waiting and Wally Lewis Medallist Cameron Smith was cleared of a charge of kneeing New South Wales centre Jarryd Hayne which resulted in an eight-point try awarded to the Blues.
Teams
The 18th man is a reserve to cover for any forthcoming injuries and, unless chosen, does not actually play.
1 - Josh Dugan was originally selected to play but withdrew due to injury. He was replaced by Anthony Minichiello. 2 - Dean Young switched places with Michael Ennis to play in the starting side after being initially selected for the bench.
William Slater is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. Slater is the current coach of the Queensland Maroons, whom he coached to victories in the 2022 and 2023 State of Origin series.
State of Origin results and statistics have been accumulating since the 1980 State of Origin game. Every game played under State of Origin selection rules, including the additional 1987 exhibition match and the matches played between New South Wales and Queensland for the Super League Tri-series are detailed below unless stated otherwise.
The 2009 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was the first Rugby League Four Nations since its expansion from the Tri-Nations tournament. Played in England and France over three weeks from Friday, 23 October until Saturday, 14 November, France and England competed for the first time, with Great Britain's permanent split into the home nations' national teams following the 2007 New Zealand All Golds Tour. The tournament culminated in a final between world number 1 side Australia and hosts England. After 60 minutes of highly competitive football, Australia ran away with the match, scoring a barrage of late tries to win 46–16.
Johnathan Dean Thurston is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the National Rugby League (NRL). Thurston was an Australian international, Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All Stars representative, playing at halfback or five-eighth, and was a noted goal-kicker. Thurston has been an assistant coach of the Queensland rugby league team since 2021.
Anthony Minichiello is a former professional rugby league footballer who captained the Sydney Roosters in the National Rugby League, and retired having set records for most games and most tries in the club's history. An Australia and Italy international as well as a New South Wales State of Origin representative wing turned fullback, he played his entire career with the Roosters, with whom he won the 2002 and 2013 NRL Premierships, before retiring at the conclusion of the club's 2014 campaign. Minichiello also won the Golden Boot Award for international player of the year in 2005, and is the brother of fellow Italian international, Mark Minichiello.
The Queensland rugby league team represents the Australian state of Queensland in rugby league football. Nicknamed the "Maroons" after the colour of their jersey, they play three times a year against arch-rivals New South Wales in the State of Origin series. The team is currently coached by Billy Slater and captained by Daly Cherry-Evans, and is administered by the Queensland Rugby League. They play all of their home matches at Brisbane's Lang Park.
Jarryd Lee Hayne is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who also briefly played American football and rugby union sevens.
The 2007 State of Origin series was the 26th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. Queensland won the series by winning the first two games. New South Wales avoided the whitewash by winning the third match held at Suncorp Stadium. The Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series was awarded to Queensland's hooker, Cameron Smith.
Luke Lewis is an Australian rugby league commentator and former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League (NRL) and Australia at international level.
The 2005 State of Origin series saw the 24th time that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. The three matches drew a total attendance of 187,309 and New South Wales won the series 2-1, their third consecutive series victory, and their last until 2014.
The 2004 State of Origin series was the 23rd time that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules.
The 1995 State of Origin series was the 14th annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league teams. Due to the Australian Rugby League's ongoing conflicts with Super League, they ruled that no Super League-aligned players were eligible for State of Origin selection in 1995. This appeared to hurt Queensland, eliminating their mostly Brisbane Broncos back line, and they were not widely expected to win the series. However, they won 3–0, their first series win since 1991. Novice Queensland coach Paul Vautin made only one player change to his squad during the three game series. This series once again saw State of Origin football venture to Melbourne, after an enthusiastic Melbourne crowd packed the MCG to watch game two of the 1994 series. Although the crowd in Melbourne was not as high as 1994's then-record origin crowd of 87,161, it was still a success, attracting 52,994 spectators and furthering the case for a first grade team in Melbourne.
The 2008 State of Origin series was the 27th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was contested entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. At its commencement each side had won twelve Origin series with two series drawn.
The 2009 State of Origin series was the 28th time that the annual three-game series between the Queensland and New South Wales representative rugby league football teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. Queensland won their first two matches to retain the shield and to record 14 series wins, as well as the first time in Origin history that a state had won the series for four consecutive years. Maroon centre Greg Inglis was awarded the Wally Lewis Medal as player of the series.
Joshua Dugan is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a fullback and centre for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the NRL and Australia at international level.
The 2010 State of Origin series was the 29th annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams played entirely under 'state of origin' selection rules. For the second year in a row, a Queensland victory set a new record for consecutive State of Origin titles, reaching five. Queensland won all three matches, completing their first series white-wash since 1995.
The 2012 State of Origin series was the 31st time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. For the fourth successive year a Queensland victory set a new record for consecutive State of Origin titles, reaching seven. Game I was played at Melbourne's sold out Etihad Stadium and won by Queensland; its television broadcast watched by more than 2.5 million viewers, rating it as the most-watched State of Origin broadcast since the introduction of OzTAM ratings in 1999. New South Wales' series-equalling win in Game II, played at Sydney's sold out ANZ Stadium, set a new TV ratings record for most-watched second game of any series in State of Origin history. The decider, Game III was played at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium and was won by Queensland. This game set a new record for the highest television audience in Australia for a rugby league match since the introduction of the OzTam ratings system in 2001.
The 2013 State of Origin series was the 32nd time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams was played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. It was the first series to be administered by the Australian Rugby League Commission which was created in a major re-structure of the sport's administration in Australia.
The 2014 State of Origin series was the 33rd time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams has been played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. It is the second series to be administered by the Australian Rugby League Commission which was created in a major restructure of the sport's administration in Australia.
The 2015 State of Origin series was the 34th time the annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams to be played entirely under 'state of origin' rules. It was the third series to be administered by the Australian Rugby League Commission which was created in a major restructure of the sport's administration in Australia.
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Queensland (16th title)
Anthony Minichiello 
