State of origin: what time is the kick-off for game 3?
State of origin: what time is the kick-off for game 3? Rugby league fans and some of the top players in the world are preparing for the State of Origin for the final time this year.
Even if the third game is a “dead rubber,” there is still a lot at stake.
What follows is the bare minimum of information necessary.
When does game 3 start?
At 8:10 p.m. AEST on Wednesday, July 14, the third and final instalment of State of Origin will begin.
Where is Origin III being played?
This Origin series has been derailed by the continuous COVID-19 lockdown in Greater Sydney, and the last game was no exception.
The sudden increase in cases in Sydney forced the game to be moved from Sydney to Newcastle’s Hunter Stadium.
There is some bad news for Hunter football fans: this has to change again. The New South Wales government banned spectators out of fear of a COVID outbreak, and the National Rugby League wasn’t willing to play a marquee game in secret.
Instead, it will be played on the Gold Coast at Robina, the Titans’ home field.
Melbourne lost their first game of the season in early June when Game 1 was played in Townsville owing to another COVID outbreak.
Sydney has not hosted an Origin game since the 1980 and 1981 events when the series began as stand-alone events in Brisbane.
Because of this, the three 2021 Origin games will all be held in Queensland.
How big is the crowd?
Given the current COVID issue in Queensland, the maximum attendance in Robina has been set at 27,000.
The Blues have been in camp at Kingscliff, which is a 20-minute drive from the stadium and an hour from Brisbane.
Before crowd restrictions forced a move, Hunter Stadium could have held about 20,000 spectators or about 75% of its maximum capacity.
People who live in or have travelled to a COVID hotspot, such as Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong, and Shellharbour local government areas), will not be permitted to attend the game.
First two Origin games
Over the course of 160 minutes, NSW made Queensland appear like a middling club team, ultimately winning by a final score of 76-6.
In the first game of the series, the Blues won by a score of 50-6; in Brisbane, they won by a score of 26-0.
After winning the shield for the third time in four years, NSW is aiming for a clean sweep of the series, something neither team has accomplished since 2010.
If the Queenslanders score nothing on Wednesday, it will be only the eighth 3-0 rout in 40 series.
Who is playing?
Perhaps a more pertinent inquiry is, “Who isn’t playing?” However, we will eventually discuss that.
For the Maroons, 19-year-old North Queenslander Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will make his debut in the centres, and Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga will return to the starting lineup for the first time this series after missing the first two games with an injury.
After missing game 2 with an injury, Gold Coast fullback AJ Brimson has returned to the bench.
Mitchell Moses of Parramatta will make his Blues debut at halfback, with Jack Wighton moving from the bench to the starting lineup at five-eighth. Apisai Koroisau, a hooker for the Penrith Panthers, will make his Origin debut off the bench in game one, and Dale Finucane, a forward for the Melbourne Storm, will make his fifth appearance.
Penrith halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai, as well as starting prop Daniel Saifiti, all went down with injuries after game 2 for NSW.
In addition to David Fifita’s absence due to suspension, Queensland benched hooker Andrew McCullough and winger Kyle Feldt. Jai Arrow will be left out because he broke COVID biosecurity guidelines by bringing an “unregistered guest” into Maroons camp.