Rugby league matches between New South Wales and Queensland have been played for the past century, but it took until 1980 for State of Origin to go from concept to reality.

Prior to that, players represented the state where they played, rather than where they were originally from. Queenslanders were desperate to represent their home state and so State of Origin was born, with Arthur Beetson captain-coaching the Maroons to a 20-10 victory at Lang Park on July 8, 1980.

It took another five years for the Blues to record a series victory under the new Origin selection criteria, with Steve Mortimer leading NSW to a famous win at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

That cemented the legend of State of Origin, and three decades later it remains the ultimate rugby league battle ground, pitting teammates against teammates in a brutal test of a player’s mental and physical abilities.

Check out our State of Origin Index that compares every player, from every game in Origin’s 38 year history.