2026 State of Origin Queensland vs New South Wales Game 3
In the opening two games of Origin 2026, it was the halves who stole the show with man of the match performances. Will that be the case again in the crucial Game 3?
Nathan Cleary steered the Blues to a Game 1 victory and Sam Walker putting on a clinic in both games and was awarded MOTM in Game 2. History says that it will be a half or a fullback who follows them in being best on ground in Game 3.
- Since 2017, 9 forwards, 12 halves, 6 fullbacks and 2 centres have won the MOTM honours.
- A fullback or half has won Man of the Match in the last 8 Game Threes
- QLD have won 8 of the last 10 deciders
You can also read the State of Origin Game 3 preview and our first tryscrorer bets.
Kalyn Ponga (QLD)
The obvious pick here is Sam Walker if Queensland clinch the decider and he will be there in the multiple MOTM Picks put on on Wednesday.
However, Kalyn Ponga has been influential in patches (in a good and bad way) this series and I just have vibes that he can be the man to break this game open and make up for the mishap in Game 1.
Ponga looked sharp in the opener before being sent off and in Game 2 he put his head down and put the work in and stayed out of trouble.
Game 3 will be a different story and will likely need a game breaker and Ponga can be the key to unlocking the QLD attack giving the Newcastle fullback the opportunity to rack up some line breaks and try assists and maybe even a four-pointer himself.
James Tedesco (NSW)
Teddy was one of the heroes for the Blues in Game 1 and did a mountain of work with 19 runs and 150+ metres in a well beaten side in Game 2.
Nathan Cleary will need another monster to get the Blues home but Tedesco’s experience will be vital for the Blues in Game 3.
His work-rate will be up and if the game is on the line and I was in the halves for the Blues, I would be looking for the former NSW captain to get his hands on the ball out the back of the line or in the air like he did in Game 1.