2024 State of Origin News

The complete history of State of Origin dead rubbers

Can the Blues avoid a whitewash in Game 3?

Published by
Scott Pryde

The Queensland Maroons will look to become just the eighth team in State of Origin history to perform a clean sweep when they take to Homebush against the New South Wales Blues on Wednesday evening.

Queensland have dominated the series to date and put on a big scoreline in Game 2 to rubber stamp that they will lift the shield after Game 3, but can they do it after a win?

History says it'll be difficult at best against Brad Fittler's Blues, who have made seven changes. The coach himself is likely heading into his final Origin in charge.

Follow live stats, coverage and scores in our match centre from kick-off to the final whistle tonight.

Five of the seven clean sweeps in Origin history occurred before the turn of the century - that may come as a surprise given Queensland had the most dominant run in Oring history well after the turn of the century.

Between 2007 and 2017, Queensland won 10 of 11 series, the Maroons' run of dominance only broken by a Blues' win in 2014.

But in all those years, the Queenslanders only managed a single clean sweep coming in 2010, when they won Game 3 on the road 23 points to 18.

They led the series 2-0 on two other occasions during the decade but couldn't get the job done.

That sweep in 2010 was the last sweep for either state, despite four chances to do so since. The Blues had three of those chances in 2014, 2018 and 2021.

The other whitewash before 2010 this century came in 2000 as the Blues won Game 3 at Homebush by a staggering 56 points to 16.

Sweeps were much more prevalent before the turn of the century, with three in four years between 1986 and 1989 and another two back-to-back in 1995 and 1996.

All up, Queensland has managed to convert four out of eight opportunities for a three-zero result, while the Blues have managed just three from eleven.

Full list of dead rubbers

The series score after two games is shown first, then the Game 3 scoreline.
1984: QLD lead 2-0, NSW win 22-12
1985: NSW lead 2-0, QLD win 22-12
1986: NSW lead 2-0, NSW win 18-16 (Sweep 1)
1988: QLD lead 2-0, QLD win 38-22 (Sweep 2)
1989: QLD lead 2-0, QLD win 36-16 (Sweep 3)
1990: NSW lead 2-0, QLD win 14-10
1993: NSW lead 2-0, QLD win 24-12
1995: QLD lead 2-0, QLD win 24-16 (Sweep 4)
1996: NSW lead 2-0, NSW win 15-14 (Sweep 5)
1997: NSW lead 2-0, QLD win 18-12
2000: NSW lead 2-0, NSW win 56-16 (Sweep 6)
2003: NSW lead 2-0, QLD win 36-16
2007: QLD lead 2-0, NSW win 18-4
2009: QLD lead 2-0, NSW win 28-16
2010: QLD lead 2-0, QLD win 23-18 (Sweep 7)
2014: NSW lead 2-0, QLD win 32-8
2016: QLD lead 2-0, NSW win 18-14
2018: NSW lead 2-0, QLD win 18-12
2021: NSW lead 2-0, QLD win 20-18

Published by
Scott Pryde