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.
Cronulla Sharks
Current ladder position: 3rd, 16 points, + 88
Players selected: Nicho Hynes
Origin period fixtures: Round 13: Bye, Round 14: vs Broncos (h), Round 15: vs Storm (a), Round 16: vs Bulldogs (h), Round 17: Bye, Round 18: vs Dragons (h), Round 19: vs Tigers (a), Round 20: vs Warriors (a)
The Sharks only have one player selected for the Origin series, although Hynes is their most important.
Craig Fitzgibbon's side will be forced to play at least two games without Hynes - against the Bulldogs in Round 16 prior to Game 2, and the Tigers prior to Game 3. Both of these clashes seem winnable, even without last year's Dally M winner.
The Sharks have the bye before Game 1, but their games after Origin aren't straightforward, with a clash against the Broncos in Round 14 on Saturday evening and a trip to Auckland on the Sunday after Origin 3.
They have the bye after Origin 2.
Liam Martin was also picked for the Panthers?