State of Origin future bright with uncapped talent

State of Origin is entering its 37^th series in 2017, and after 118 games of Origin, there’s been a lot of talent play in the Blue and Maroon jerseys. Wally Lewis, Andrew Johns, Jonathan Thurston and Steve Mortimer have all graced the field for their respective states, and the future is bright for Origin with the amount of quality uncapped players in the NRL today.

The recent Four Nations saw several players make their Kangaroos debut, with a few making their international debut before their maiden Origin match. Jake Friend, Jake Trbojevic, Shannon Boyd and Valentine Holmes all made their Australian debut before playing for New South Wales or Queensland and will look to use the tournament success as a springboard into the Origin arena.

The annual Emerging Origin squads prove an insight into the mind of a selector, and who’s in line for a debut in the coming series. Nine players from the 2016 Emerging Origin Squads, seven of them New South Welshmen, went on to make their Origin debuts this year. The likes of James Tedesco, Adam Reynolds, Matt Moylan, Tyson Frizell and more went on to feature for the Blues this season, while Corey Oates and Justin O’Neill played their maiden match in Maroon this year.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 01: Paul Gallen of the Blues walks out onto the field for the second half during game one of the State Of Origin series between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons at ANZ Stadium on June 1, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

This year’s series saw veterans Corey Parker and Paul Gallen retire from State of Origin, while superstars Jonathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Robbie Farah are all nearing the end of their representative careers. The retirement of players in such key positions will mean the ushering of new talent over the next series will be crucial to both sides, as well as the development of recent debutants to ensure one team emerges dominant in the coming years.

Tickets for the 2017 State of Origin series are on sale now, with the first match scheduled to be played at Suncorp Stadium on May 31^st.