Junior Origin is a must watch, and here’s why

For the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, junior representative football is set to return this evening, with women's and men's under-19 State of Origin matches to be played in prime time at Leichhardt.

It's the first time the fixtures will be broadcast live on TV, having previously been live streamed, and there are no excuses for fans of the greatest game of them all not to tune in.

While the fact we have been reduced to a single under-19s game is a step back from the previous model which saw under-20s, under-18s and under-16s fixtures played every year, just having junior representative football back in any form or fashion is a step forward.

These games - New South Wales and Queensland - have a great track record of showcasing the future, providing juniors a taste of what State of Origin is all about, and also form the basis for selection in a usual end of year Australian under-19s or 20s side.

No fixtures have been announced on that front yet for this year, and given the Rugby League World Cup to be played in England, they may not be at all, but that won't take away from what will be an excellent evening at Leichhardt.

The women's game will be played first, and with the rise of the female game, will be more important than ever. Four new teams enter the NRLW competition in 2020, creating 68 extra playing spots per week - and you can bet your house that a fair few players who feature in the women's contest on Thursday evening will be handed NRLW contracts next year.

That will come as the Dragons, Broncos, Roosters, Eels, Knights and Titans prepare for a raid from the Raiders, Cowboys, Tigers and Sharks as the competitions four new teams.

The men's competition too will continue hunting for new talent, and already that talent drain is on display, with the Dolphins having signed more than half of their squad for their inaugural season in 2023, to go with four development players.

Jack Bostock - who will line up on the wing for the NSW men's side today - is one of them.

But the history of under-20s State of Origin matches is simply too important to ignore, and too massive of an opportunity for any of these players pushing for their NRL debuts, to not turn up for.

The only players included in Thursday night's game with NRL matches on their resume is Trey Mooney, while Queensland's Jack Howarth has recently signed a five-year deal with the Melbourne Storm and won't be far away. Neither will winger Sosefo Fifita, who was 18th man for the Gold Coast Titans last week.

Still, one look back at the previous five under-20s games proves exactly how important this fixture is, for the players themselves, the recruitment teams around the competition, and fans.

Each of the fixtures has players who have either gone on to NRL or Origin level already.

From the 2019 under-20s fixture, 31 of the 34 listed players have now debuted at NRL level. The pick of the bunch include Ronaldo Mulitalo, Stephen Crichton, Tesi Niu, Murray Taulagi, Matt Burton, Ethan Bullemor, Tom Gilbert, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Teig Wilton and Stefano Utoikamanu.

Four players - Crichton, Burton, Taulagi and Fa'asuamaleaui - have already, or, in the case of Burton and Taulagi, are about to make their State of Origin debuts, while Mulitalo was due to last year before being ruled ineligible for Queensland.

Here is a complete list of the players from the last three under-20s Origin matches who have already made their State of Origin debut (or are about to), as well as players who have made at least five NRL appearances.

While some players have failed to kick on and fulfil their enormous potential presented either before, or during, this junior Origin stage, many have, and for the fact that an extra team coming in means the stat surrounding 31 of the 34 listed players from the last under-20s Origin match debuting in the three years since is likely to be repeated time and time again.

That is a large chunk of talent who could be running around for your club in the coming years, while the NRLW is set to experience exactly the same sort of numbers with four new teams.

Names to watch tonight in the men's contest from New South Wales include the likes of South Sydney fullback Terrell Kalo Kalo, Canterbury centre Paul Alamoti, Canberra centre Brad Morkos, halves combination Tom Weaver and Jonah Pezet from the Titans and Storm respectively and Tigers' second rower Brandon Weaver. Penrith young gun Jack Cole could also provide plenty from the bench.

On the Queensland side, it's young gun Jack Howarth who will look to push his claim for an NRL debut in the coming weeks, while Xavier Va'a, who swapped from the Broncos to the Roosters during the off-season, is a monster prop for his age. Others to watch include Isaiah Iongi, Gold Coast outside back Sosefo Fifita, Townsville Blackhawks' half Thomas Duffy and Knights' prop Paul Bryan.

But maybe the single player to keep an eye on this evening is Blake Mozer.

A gun hooker, he is rated as the best young talent in the game and could hold down the number nine jersey for years to come at Red Hill.

With Jake Turpin reportedly on the way out, it could be his jersey as soon as next year, and Brisbane haven't held back, recently re-signing him until the end of 2025.

This match is the best identifier of talent there is, and as a rugby league fan, it could be regarded as one of the most important days on the calendar for the future of the sport.

Kick-off in the women's game is scheduled for 5:45pm (AEST), and in the men's game at 7:45pm (AEST).