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Will the Blues' misery end at last?
A Cooper Cronk field goal at the 75th minute of the decider was all that separated Queensland and NSW in the 2012 State of Origin series.
Although it was their seventh successive Origin series defeat, the Blues have now closed the gap between the states to the narrowest of margins.
Two matches will be played in Sydney this year (more on that below), for the first time since 2010. And for all the Maroons' dominance, they didn't win the game played at ANZ Stadium in 2011 or 2012.
It's a great credit to Ricky Stuart that, while he didn't deliver the Blues the ultimate success in his second stint as coach over the last two years, he reinvigorated the Origin passion in a city which could have been accused of having a degree of apathy towards the concept previously.
Stuart's verbal jousting with the Maroons in the media increased attendance and the fervour at ANZ Stadium, turned the ground into a fortress that even the great Maroons' side now struggles to win at.
While Stuart has stepped away from the job, the Blues couldn't have a better replacement than his great friend Laurie Daley.
Daley will liaise with Stuart about exactly how he went about his business over the last two years, and will use similar coaching methods – making him the perfect man to continue the momentum built by his former Canberra halves partner.
As great as Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cronk have been for the Maroons, the superstar trio all turn 30 in 2013, and if their performances only drop off a fraction it will be enough for the Blues to win their first series since 2005.
The Maroons can't keep winning forever and all the signs point to 2013 being the year NSW break the drought.
Is it right that NSW hosts two Origin games next year?
The decision to award NSW two home games in 2013 because their State Government offered more money than Queensland's has a bad smell about it.
In 2005, Brisbane hosted two games. In 2006, the Blues gave up one of their home games to Melbourne. In 2007, Brisbane hosted two games. Then in 2008, Sydney held two, the Maroons forfeited one of their home games to Melbourne in 2009 and then in 2010, Sydney hosted two again. In 2011, Brisbane hosted two games, and in 2012, NSW relinquished one of their home games to Melbourne.
Why then, has that sequence now been changed, with NSW to host two games in 2013 instead of Queensland?
Yes, the Blues have given up two home games to Melbourne to the Maroons' one in recent history, but Queensland would had to have given a game to Melbourne in 2015, and the Blues would have held two home games in 2014 and 2016 if the sequence had continued.
That the ARLC have decided now is the time to change that sequence – when Queensland have won seven series on the trot – seems all too convenient to be a coincidence.
It's very difficult to believe the same decision would have been made if the Maroons hadn't won the last seven series in succession.
One positive is the new sequence works better on a long-term basis. Queensland hosted five games to three from 2005-07, and NSW hosted five to three from 2008-10, but now both teams will hold four games each from 2011-13.
But State of Origin should be about fairness, not about altering the sequence of home matches to suit the state that has a bigger chequebook.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of BigPond Sport.
Follow BigPond Sport on Twitter: @bigpondsport
If Melbourne wasn't advantageous for QLD, they are deluded...
Will the Blues' misery end at last?
A Cooper Cronk field goal at the 75th minute of the decider was all that separated Queensland and NSW in the 2012 State of Origin series.
Although it was their seventh successive Origin series defeat, the Blues have now closed the gap between the states to the narrowest of margins.
Two matches will be played in Sydney this year (more on that below), for the first time since 2010. And for all the Maroons' dominance, they didn't win the game played at ANZ Stadium in 2011 or 2012.
It's a great credit to Ricky Stuart that, while he didn't deliver the Blues the ultimate success in his second stint as coach over the last two years, he reinvigorated the Origin passion in a city which could have been accused of having a degree of apathy towards the concept previously.
Stuart's verbal jousting with the Maroons in the media increased attendance and the fervour at ANZ Stadium, turned the ground into a fortress that even the great Maroons' side now struggles to win at.
While Stuart has stepped away from the job, the Blues couldn't have a better replacement than his great friend Laurie Daley.
Daley will liaise with Stuart about exactly how he went about his business over the last two years, and will use similar coaching methods – making him the perfect man to continue the momentum built by his former Canberra halves partner.
As great as Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cronk have been for the Maroons, the superstar trio all turn 30 in 2013, and if their performances only drop off a fraction it will be enough for the Blues to win their first series since 2005.
The Maroons can't keep winning forever and all the signs point to 2013 being the year NSW break the drought.
Is it right that NSW hosts two Origin games next year?
The decision to award NSW two home games in 2013 because their State Government offered more money than Queensland's has a bad smell about it.
In 2005, Brisbane hosted two games. In 2006, the Blues gave up one of their home games to Melbourne. In 2007, Brisbane hosted two games. Then in 2008, Sydney held two, the Maroons forfeited one of their home games to Melbourne in 2009 and then in 2010, Sydney hosted two again. In 2011, Brisbane hosted two games, and in 2012, NSW relinquished one of their home games to Melbourne.
Why then, has that sequence now been changed, with NSW to host two games in 2013 instead of Queensland?
Yes, the Blues have given up two home games to Melbourne to the Maroons' one in recent history, but Queensland would had to have given a game to Melbourne in 2015, and the Blues would have held two home games in 2014 and 2016 if the sequence had continued.
That the ARLC have decided now is the time to change that sequence – when Queensland have won seven series on the trot – seems all too convenient to be a coincidence.
It's very difficult to believe the same decision would have been made if the Maroons hadn't won the last seven series in succession.
One positive is the new sequence works better on a long-term basis. Queensland hosted five games to three from 2005-07, and NSW hosted five to three from 2008-10, but now both teams will hold four games each from 2011-13.
But State of Origin should be about fairness, not about altering the sequence of home matches to suit the state that has a bigger chequebook.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of BigPond Sport.
Follow BigPond Sport on Twitter: @bigpondsport
If Melbourne wasn't advantageous for QLD, they are deluded...
