The Westpac NSW Blues have welcomed the move to return to their successful stomping ground of Perth after the NRL announced today that a game will be held there for the 2025 and 2028 Ampol State of Origin series.
The Blues first ventured to Optus Stadium in 2019, where they scored a comprehensive 38-6 win before going on to claim the series. They returned to the ground last year, where again they produced another clinical 44-12 victory to send the series to a decider.
The match was well-supported on both occasions with 59,721 supporters watching the match in 2019, and 59,358 in 2022.
Westpac NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler said: “It is a great endorsement for Rugby League to secure the support of the WA Government to host the game’s showpiece in Perth in 2025 and 2028 and a strong indication of the appetite for the game in the west.
“And while it is a neutral venue, the Blues, with the strong support of The Star Blatchys fans, are thrilled at the prospect of returning to Perth where we have great memories of this ground, experiencing success at the debut Perth game in 2019 and again in 2022.”
The Blues finished this year’s series on a high note after scoring a 24-10 win in Game Three before a home crowd of 75,432 fans at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
They will be hoping to build on that momentum next year, with the NRL scheduling a game in Melbourne for both the 2024 and 2026 series in line with their policy of one neutral venue and one home venue for each state in the three-match series.
