With 17 teams, byes every week and a season where more games need to be played, the impacts of State of Origin will be as big as they have been in 2023 since prior to the Gold Coast Titans joining the competition.
In previous years, every team would play only one game prior to a State of Origin game and without stars.
That has gone out the back window in 2023 though, with no week off before Origin 2, and more than half of the competition playing prior to each Origin game.
The Origin period stretches from Round 13 to Round 20 as follows:
- Round 13: Before Origin 1 - Origin players not allowed to play.
- Round 14: After Origin 1 - Origin players backing up.
- Round 15: Normal round.
- Round 16: Before Origin 2 - Origin players not allowed to play.
- Round 17: After Origin 2 - Origin players backing up.
- Round 18: Normal round.
- Round 19: Before Origin 3 - Origin players not allowed to play.
- Round 20: After Origin 3 - Origin players backing up.
Following the announcement of both squads on Monday morning, here is how your team will be impacted by the State of Origin window.
NSW Blues Game 1 squad
QLD Maroons Game 1 squad
Note: This article assumes squads would remain the same across the Origin series.
North Queensland Cowboys
Current ladder position: 14th, 10 points, - 82
Players selected: Valentine Holmes, Murray Taulagi, Reuben Cotter, Tom Dearden (18th man)
Origin period fixtures: Round 13: vs Eels (a), Round 14: vs Storm (h), Round 15: Bye, Round 16: vs Panthers (h), Round 17: vs Rabbitohs (a), Round 18: vs Tigers (h), Round 19: Bye, Round 20: vs Sea Eagles (a)
The Cowboys might be buried at the wrong end of the table, but that hasn't stopped a number of Origin selections - Valentine Holmes, Murray Taulagi and Reuben Cotter are all in Queensland's side, while Tom Dearden is the 18th man.
They have been done next to no favours by the draw either, with one of their two Origin periods coming in a full round when they could have backed up.
They kick off the Origin period with a difficult trip to play the Eels, before needing players to back up against the Storm at home. Origin 2 brings a clash against the Panthers without Origin players, and then players need to move to Sydney to play against the Rabbitohs in backing up.
The bye before Origin 3 will mean they avoid being forced to play without Holmes, Taulagi and Dearden again, but whether they back up on Saturday evening in Round 20 against the Sea Eagles is another question.
Liam Martin was also picked for the Panthers?