The NSW under-20s Origin side are looking for their sixth consecutive win tonight when they take on their Queensland counterparts at Suncorp Stadium with a 5.15pm kick-off and will be live streamed on NSWRL.com.au.
Cameron Murray has the honour of captaining the side, which comes just under a year after he led the under-18s team to a 26-0 victory at the same venue.
The battle of the halves could be the point of difference this evening with young guns Jai Field and Troy Dargan steering the ship for NSW, while rising-star Brodie Croft captain the Queensland side.
Field and Croft both burst onto the scene in the Auckland Nines earlier in the year for their respective clubs, and linked up in the halves together for the Junior Kangaroos big win over New Zealand.
Nick Meaney lines up at fullback for the Blues despite playing in the Intrust Super Premiership all year, and has been so impressive in that competition that he was a part of the Residents squad that played earlier this month.
Coach Danny Buderus has opted for young-gun Reece Robson to play hooker, and they have been working closely together all week in order to get the best out of the St George Illawarra Dragon.
Nat Butcher made 141 metres, 35 tackles, three offloads and a line-break assist in last year’s under-20s Origin match, and will be looking to repeat that performance tonight despite having missed a majority of the season through injury.
Curtis Scott and Reuben Garrick are another two players who line up in this fixture for the second time, and the established right-side centre-wing combination will look to use that to their advantage.
The Darren Lockyer Shield has never found its way north of the border with NSW having won every series, and they certainly have the side to retain the title once again.
