One of the closest NRL club competitions on record gives a hint of what lies ahead for the 2023 Ampol State of Origin series, according to Westpac NSW Blues assistant coach Paul McGregor.
The opening game is in Adelaide on Wednesday 31 May and McGregor was in South Australia today (29 March) to help launch the campaign with NSW ambassador and fellow True Blue Paul Sironen, alongside Queensland's Petero Civoniceva and Johnathan Thurston.
“The closeness of the competition this year is unreal. In fact it’s the closest competition on differential since 1908,” McGregor told nswrl.com.au.
“So that tells you how close in talent and standard the players and clubs are now. And how close we can expect Origin to be as well,” he said.
“The quality of the footy is where it needs to be and that can be seen in details like how close the scores are. It’s a big selling point for a wonderful Origin series.”
McGregor and NSW Blues head coach Brad Fittler have good depth in all positions. Stars of the 2021 series win, Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic who missed last year through injury, are also available.
“We’ve still got eight weeks before the first game so a lot can happen in that time. But at the minute Brad’s got a healthy stable of players to choose from,” McGregor said.
“Seven more games and we select our Game One team. So those results will determine who is picked really.”
Queensland recaptured the Origin shield 2-1 in the three-game series last year.
“Brad’s been planning this series from basically the day after Game Three last year,” McGregor said.
“We were all very disappointed with the result (22-12) so the planning started pretty well straight away after that loss.”
Having the first game in neutral territory held no misgivings for the Blues, he added.
“Certainly your preparation around Game One – wherever it is played - is of huge importance. It really can set up your series in a positive way,” McGregor said.
“It puts you in a very good space if you win Game One, not that Games Two and Three aren’t important. But you need to get your prep right for Game One.”
Tickets are selling well ahead of 31 May so McGregor encouraged all Blues fans to get to Adelaide.
“The last time we played at Adelaide Oval was the first game of the 2020 series, where both teams had to fly-in, play, fly-out the same night and only 25,000 tickets were sold due to Covid restrictions.
“We’re planning on a full house of 53,000 this time around,” McGregor said.
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