State of Origin's biggest stars will collide on Wednesday night, but it is the individual matchups between the NSW Blues and Queensland Maroons that will ultimately decide who takes first blood in the 2026 series opener.
From questioned selections to superstar reputations on the line, here are the five head-to-head battles set to shape Origin I.
4. Nathan Cleary vs Sam Walker
The halfback battle carries perhaps the greatest weight of any matchup on the field, with both men likely to dictate how the game is controlled and ultimately who walks away with the series lead.
Nathan Cleary is widely regarded as the premier halfback in the NRL at club level, but questions around his State of Origin legacy continue to linger.
Many believe true immortality status will only come if Cleary can completely dominate the Origin arena and lead a side outside of the familiar Penrith Panthers system.
While his place in this year's Blues side was always secured, this series presents another opportunity to cement himself as the long-term chief playmaker for New South Wales.
That challenge becomes even greater in a side stacked with dominant personalities and ball-playing stars such as Mitchell Moses and James Tedesco, with Cleary needing to both maximise their strengths while ensuring the team still operates under his control.
However, with reports that Moses may not be fit for Game 1, his leadership will need to be pushed to a new height in order to work together with Origin rookie Ethan Strange.
Cleary's brilliance often comes from the way he controls tempo, with it regularly seeming as though time slows down whenever he touches the ball, allowing him an extra moment to assess, organise and make the right decision.
Walker, meanwhile, plays with a far more unorthodox and instinctive style, reacting to what unfolds in front of him and thriving off unpredictability and broken play.
They represent two completely different approaches to halfback play, and amid the increased speed of the modern game, Origin I may reveal which style proves most effective on rugby league's biggest stage.
Interesting.
I suppose at the back of my mind I have known Koula and Fifita are centres, but it hadn’t penetrated my consciousness that they were going to be playing wing.
Surely to God the Qld and NSW selectors and coaches could have a found a few professional wingers rather than playing a couple of debutants out of position.