Queensland dominated State of Origin in the 2000s when winning 11 of the last 12 series with the Melbourne Storm and Australian contingent of Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith leading the way.
But New South Wales have hit back in more recent years, winning two Origin series in a row with 2-1 victories in 2018 and 2019 to break the stranglehold of the Maroons.
The Maroons pulled off an upset with a come-from-behind 2-1 series win over the Blues last year to win the 2020 Origin shield.
State of Origin Winners
| Season | Winners | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2019 | New South Wales | Queensland |
| 2018 | New South Wales | Queensland |
| 2017 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2016 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2015 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2014 | New South Wales | Queensland |
| 2013 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2012 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2011 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2010 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2009 | Queensland | New South Wales |
| 2008 | Queensland | New South Wales |
State of Origin History
The rivalry between New South Wales and Queensland is fierce and dates back to the establishment of rugby league in Australia in 1908.
State of Origin came to prominence in the 1980s with New South Wales given the nickname "Cockroaches" and Queensland known as the "Cane Toads".
Players are selected by the state in which they played their first senior rugby league game.
Of the 36 series contested, Queensland have won 21 and New South Wales 13 with 2 series tied.
In the 108 games played overall, Queensland have won 58 and New South Wales have won 48 with 2 matches being drawn.
Matches are played at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and ANZ Stadium in Sydney with occasional matches on neutral ground in Melbourne.
Some of the best rugby league players of all time have confirmed their reputation in the State of Origin, such as Allan Langer, Wally Lewis, Ricky Stuart and Laurie Daley in the early 1990s through to Andrew Johns and Darren Lockyer.
Some of the 2000 brigade included Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Paul Gallen.