The teams
BLUES: Josh Dugan, Daniel Tupou, Michael Jennings, Josh Morris, Will Hopoate, Mitchell Pearce, Trent Hodkinson, Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah (c), James Tamou, Ryan Hoffman, Beau Scott, Josh Jackson. Interchange: Trent Merrin, Boyd Cordner, David Klemmer, Andrew Fifita.
MAROONS: Billy Slater, Will Chambers, Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges, Darius Boyd, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Matt Scott, Cameron Smith (c), Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday, Aidan Guerra, Corey Parker. Interchange: Michael Morgan, Josh McGuire, Matt Gillett, Jacob Lillyman.
Why NSW will win
The Blues are noticeably younger. An average age of 26 against Queensland's 29. Though NSW are a vastly different team to last year, they still won the series despite only scoring 26 points in three games. Queensland also provided the spine of the Australian team rolled by a powerful, youthful New Zealand last month.
Why Queensland will win
Thurston, Cronk, Inglis, Smith, Slater . . . that just about sums it up. Queensland won eight series in a row for a reason. They have put together (and kept together) a team that will go down as one of the best in the history of the game. They may be getting older, but age is just a number. If their big guns play their best, they'll win.
Origin statistics
Total series won: Queensland 20, NSW 13 (drawn 2).
Total matches won: Queensland 54, NSW 45 (drawn 2).
Largest winning margin: 40 points. NSW (56-16, Origin III, 2000).
Most consecutive games won: 8. Queensland (Origin II, 1987 to Origin III, 1989).
Most consecutive series won: 8. Queensland (2006-2013).
Most games: 36 Darren Lockyer (1998-2011) (Queensland).
Most consecutive games: 29 Johnathan Thurston (2005-14) (Queensland).
Most games as captain: 30 Wally Lewis (1981-91) (Queensland).
Most tries: 15 Greg Inglis (2006-2014) (Queensland) and Darius Boyd (Queensland) (2008-2014).
Most points: 162 Johnathan Thurston (2005-2014) (Queensland).
Leader predictions
Andrew Parkinson: NSW by 2. Man of the match: Robbie Farah.
Paul Haigh: Queensland by 8. Man of the match: Nate Myles.
How to get there
Match tickets include travel on train services, Sydney Olympic Park major event buses and regular buses, Sydney ferries and light rail services.
Extra trains to Olympic Park will leave Central every 15 minutes until 6.10pm, then every seven to eight minutes until 9.30pm; and Lidcombe every 10 minutes until 10pm.
After the game, services from Olympic Park will run to Central every five minutes until 12.30am and to Lidcombe and Blacktown every seven to eight minutes until 12.30am.
On the South Coast Line, an extra service to Kiama will leave Central at 12.44am, stopping at Redfern, Wolli Creek, Hurstville, Sutherland, Waterfall and then all stations to Kiama.
Sydney Olympic Park major event buses will start running between 3.45pm and 4.45pm depending on route, with return services starting from 10pm.
Which team are you backing in Origin I?
