State of Origin Game 2: Betting, Line-Ups & Preview

Game 2 of the 2022 State of Origin series is nearly upon us, with the much-anticipated clash set to draw close to 60,000 passionate fans to Perth’s Optus Stadium. This is everything that you need to know about the series-defining clash. 

 

>> Bet on over 500 markets for State of Origin: Game 2

 

Who Won the State of Origin Game 1 in 2022?

The Blues entered Game 1 of the 2022 State of Origin series as favourites on their home turf, but in a tight, low-scoring affair, the Maroons prevailed 16-10. 

 

State of Origin Game 1 Recap

The beginning of any State of Origin series is always fiercely contested, as is the series in its entirety, and this game was no different. After a fiery opening, Jack Wighton opened the scoring for New South Wales in the 14th minute, but Nathan Cleary failed to convert and things began to go south for the home side soon after. In the 34th minute, Dane Gagai became the equal third most prolific try scorer in history, and with Valentine Holmes converting the Maroons headed into half-time with a 6-4 lead. 

Enter the second half, and the visitors began to really assert themselves on the scoreboard. Daly Cherry-Evans crossed the line in the 48th minute before Holmes did the same five minutes later, putting the Blues 12 points in arrears and with a very steep mountain to climb to get back into the contest. A converted Cameron Murray try in the 71st minute kept New South Wales in with a chance, but the Maroons’ defence was able to keep them at bay over the next eight minutes to record an upset victory.

 

When is State of Origin Game 2?

Game 2 of the 2022 State of Origin series will take place on the 26th of June, with the kick off due for 7.50pm.

 

Where is State of Origin Game 2?

This will be the solitary game of the series to be played at a neutral venue, taking place at Optus Stadium in Perth. This will mark just the second occasion on which a State of Origin game has taken place in the Western Australian capital, after just under 60,000 fans packed into the state-of-the-art new stadium back in 2019 to see New South Wales thump Queensland to the tune of 32 points. 

 

Confirmed Blues Starting Line-Up for Game 2

Starting Line-Up

  1. James Tedesco (c)
  2. Brian To’o
  3. Matt Burton
  4. Stephen Crichton
  5. Daniel Tupou
  6. Jarome Luai
  7. Nathan Cleary 
  8. Payne Haas
  9. Apisai Koroisau
  10. Jake Trbojevic
  11. Cameron Murray
  12. Liam Martin
  13. Isaah Yeo

Interchange

  1. Damien Cook
  2. Angus Crichton
  3. Junior Paulo
  4. Siosifa Talakai

Reserves

  1. Nicho Hynes
  2. Joseph Suaalii
  3. Jordan McLean
  4. Clint Gutherson
  5. Victor Radley

 

Confirmed Maroons Starting Line-Up for Game 2

Starting Line-Up

  1. Kalyn Ponga 
  2. Selwyn Cobbo 
  3. Valentine Holmes
  4. Dane Gagai 
  5. Murray Taulagi 
  6. Cameron Munster 
  7. Daly Cherry-Evans 
  8. Lindsay Collins 
  9. Ben Hunt 
  10. Josh Papalii 
  11. Kurt Capewell 
  12. Felise Kaufusi 
  13. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 

Interchange

  1. Harry Grant 
  2. Jai Arrow
  3. Patrick Carrigan 
  4. Jeremiah Nanai 

Reserves 

  1. Tom Dearden 
  2. Thomas Flegler 
  3. Beau Fermor 
  4. Corey Oates 
  5. Reece Walsh 

 

State of Origin Game 2 Preview

New South Wales’ upset loss on their own home turf in Game 1 of this year’s State of Origin series certainly puts their backs against the rope, but they need only look back to 2017 for evidence they’re still in the series. That year, it was the Blues who stole Game 1 on the road – and comfortably at that – before Queensland went on to win the following two games and claim the series. Comebacks from a 1-0 deficit have happened a handful of times in Origin history before that, too, so while they have their work cut out for them, the fat lady is not yet singing.

Incidentally, the only other time a State of Origin game has been played in Perth, the Blues put on a dominant display and ran out 38-6 winners after losing Game 1, before going on to clinch the series in Game 3. The key difference between that series and this one is that the series opener was in Queensland, so to come back from a 1-0 deficit NSW only needed to win at a neutral venue and at home. This time they’ll need to win in Queensland if they want to retain the Shield; a venue at which the Maroons boast a 35-19 record. 

Before they get a chance to buck that trend, of course, they’ll need to make it two from two in Perth, in a must-win game which they’ll enter without Jack Wighton due to COVID protocols. Matt Burton will take his place, while Jake Trbojevic and Angus Crichton will also join the fray. The Maroons, meanwhile, have a couple of forced changes of their own, with Xavier Coates and Reuben Cotter absent from the squad which was so impressive in Game 1 due to injury. They’ll be replaced by Murray Taulagi and Jai Arrow. 

But while there are multiple changes to the squads that locked horns in a fiercely contested Origin opener, there are plenty of intriguing individual storylines which will carry through from that game. Among the most important of them relates to Cameron Munster, who was best afield in Game 1 and whose influence will need to either be better curbed by the Blues defence, or better matched by their opposing halves. 

Nathan Cleary certainly has plenty of scope to improve; the elite pressure imposed on him by the Maroons in Game 1 almost completely nullified the influence of the reigning Clive Churchill Medallist, and it’s hard to imagine him putting in an equally ineffectual performance for a second game in a row. His Panthers teammate, Jerome Luai, can also play a lot better than he did in Sydney, and an improved showing by Munster’s opposing five-eighth would go a long way to levelling up the series.

It’s been six years since the Blues went down 2-0 in an Origin series, and they’ll be desperate to avoid that happening in a series which they entered as favourites. 

As Queensland showed in the opener though, the talent they have across the park was underestimated by many, and the predicted difficulty they would have in bringing it all together as a team proved to be a non-factor. They are an extremely good outfit, and the Blues will need to bring their A-game if they’re to level things up. In New South Wales favour, however, is the significant scope for improvement so many of their players have from Game 1, and if the likes of the aforementioned halves duo of Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai can deliver what they so often do for the Panthers, they are more than capable of evening up the series.

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Key Stats Ahead of Game 2

Below are some of the most relevant stats heading into Game 2 of the series.

 

–       In 40 games, the team which has lost Game 1 of a State of Origin series has won Game 2 on 21 occasions.

–       Of those 21 occasions, however, only nine times has the side which lost Game 1 gone on to win the series. 

–       The over/under total for this game is set at 38.5; in 18 games since 2016, just six times has an Origin score surpassed that number.

–       New South Wales have won Game 2 the last four years, and the aggregate score in their favour over the last three of those games is 98-16. 

–       The record for State of Origin games played at neutral venues stands at 6-5 in favour of New South Wales.

–       Queensland’s Dane Gagai needs just one try to move into outright third for most tries in Origin history.

–       New South Wales’ James Tedesco has been voted Man of the Match in a game in three of the past four Origin series.

 

State of Origin Game 2 and Betting Odds

 

Win Betting Odds

New South Wales $1.70 vs Queensland $2.18

 

Line Betting

New South Wales -2.5 @ $1.95 vs Queensland +2.5 @ $1.85

 

First Try Scorer Odds

Brian To’o (New South Wales Blues) – $9.75

Daniel Tupou (New South Wales Blues) – $9.75

Selwyn Cobbo (Queensland Maroons) – $11

James Tedesco (New South Wales Blues) – $12

Murray Taulagi (Queensland Maroons) – $12

Kalyn Ponga (Queensland Maroons) – $14

Matt Burton (New South Wales Blues) – $14

Dane Gagai (Queensland Maroons) – $17

Stephen Crichton (New South Wales Blues) – $17

Valentine Holmes (Queensland Maroons) – $18

Siosifa Talakai (New South Wales Blues) – $19

Cameron Munster (Queensland Maroons) – $22

Jeremiah Nanai (Queensland Maroons) – $22

Cameron Murray (New South Wales Blues) – $23

Nathan Cleary (New South Wales Blues) – $23

Harry Grant (Queensland Maroons) – $26

Jarome Luai (New South Wales Blues) – $26

Angus Crichton (New South Wales Blues) – $29

 

>> State of Origin Game 2 – First Try Scorer Odds 

 

**Odds quoted are accurate at the time of writing but are subject to change.