Optus Stadium will play host to Sunday's Round 2 NRL game between New South Wales Blues and Queensland Maroons. The game kicks off at 7:50 pm with New South Wales Blues heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the New South Wales Blues vs. Queensland Maroons game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday June 26, 2022 at 7:50 pm

Where: Optus Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Queensland Maroons vs New South Wales Blues Odds

Queensland Maroons vs New South Wales Blues Preview

We take a look at tonights Game 2 of the State Of Origin series between Queensland Maroons and NSW Blues. View our match preview and tips for the game.

New South Wales are still regrouping from a disappointing 16-10 loss as 3.5-point favourites in the Sydney-hosted State of Origin series opener – and the Blues head to Perth for Sunday’s do-or-die assignment with a vastly reshaped line-up.

Rarely in recent Origin history has either team shaken things up selection-wise to this extent following a relatively close defeat.

On top of losing centre Jack Wighton – their best player in Game 1 – to COVID, Brad Fittler has axed centre Kotoni Staggs, fellow debutant Ryan Matterson and veteran forwards Tariq Sims and Reagan Campebell-Gillard.

Stephen Crichton (who came off the bench in game one) and uncapped Matt Burton form an all-new centre duo, while contentious Sydney omissions Jake Trbojevic and Angus Crichton have been recalled.

Penrith hooker Apisai Koroisau has bumped Damien Cook to the bench – perhaps in a bid to replicate the Ben Hunt-Harry Grant dummy-half rotation the Maroons had so much success with in the series opener.

Siosifa Talakai has been introduced to the interchange and offers considerable versatility and game-breaking ability.

Fittler has gone chips in on the Panthers factor.

With Koroisau, Stephen Crichton and now-Bulldogs five-eighth Burton named, NSW will field a staggering eight members of the club’s 2021 grand final side in the starting line-up.

Queensland ideally would have taken an unchanged 17 into game two, but injury has claimed winger Xavier Coates and forward tearaway Reuben Cotter, who was magnificent on debut.

Murray Taulagi comes onto the flank for his first Origin – outside Cowboys clubmate Valentine Holmes – while Jai Arrow gets a recall to the bench.

The Maroons were more dominant in Sydney than the final score indicated, with the Blues roaring back late after being outmuscled, out-enthused and outplayed late in the first half and most of the second stanza.

Queensland may not have got home without Cameron Munster’s genius, but NSW will be expecting far more authority and invention from Nathan Cleary, in particular, and Jarome Luai.

Virtually every major stat category finished close enough to even in game one, but a clear difference was the Maroons’ ability to roll through the middle with Patrick Carrigan, Lindsay Collins, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Cotter racking up 130-plus metres.

Only Payne Haas and Isaah Yeo managed the same in the Blues’ pack.

The guile and experience of Holmes and Dane Gagai in the centres was also vital – and shapes as an advantage again up against a rookie pair in Perth.

In 40 completed Origin series to date, the team which lost the first game has bounced back to force a decider with a game two victory on 21 occasions.

Encouragingly for the Blues, they have won the second clash five of the last six times after dropping the series opener.

The neutral venue factor may provide NSW with some confidence of a series-levelling result, too, squaring up with game two wins at the MCG in 2015 (26-18) and in the only previous Origin held in Perth in 2019 (38-6), while nine of the last 13 Game 2 encounters have featured margins of 10-plus.

Meanwhile, Queensland has been held to 20 points or less for 13 consecutive Origins – they’ll again be relying on a supreme defensive display to clinch the shield with a game to spare.

The dialled back atmosphere in Perth may ease the white-hot pressure on the Blues and allow them to rectify the mistakes and clunky, panicked attack that characterised their game one showing.

But the Maroons look locked in under Billy Slater’s tutelage and shape as better value despite having the luxury of a home decider as a fallback.

Betting Update:

All the money coming into this game has been for NSW. The Blues were beaten in game 1 but punters clearly think they’re going to bounce back here.

NSW opened at $1.87 but have been supported since markets opened. They’re now into $1.65 with online bookmaker Neds.

Queensland are the $2.30 outsiders and have drifted from their $1.94 opening price.

Content provided by Neds