The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Also known as the Blues due to their sky blue jerseys. This annual event is a series of three games competing for the State of Origin shield. As of 2023, the team is coached by Michael Maguire and captained by James Tedesco.
Prior to 1980 when the "state-of-origin" selection criteria were introduced, the New South Wales team, in addition to playing annually against Queensland, played matches against foreign touring sides and occasionally toured overseas themselves. They have played all their home matches at ANZ stadium in Sydney, New South Wales in the largest stadium in the state, since it was built in 1999 for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The New South Wales team retained the 2019 Holden State of Origin Shield after beating Queensland 2–1 after being down 1–0, becoming the first NSW team to win a decider since the 2005 side, and were victorious again in the 2021 series.
History
Pre-Origin era (1907–1980)
The inaugural 'All Blues' squad of 1907.The first New South Wales team to go to Queensland in 1910.
Two further matches were played against New Zealand before their tour took them to the Northern Hemisphere, with Jim Devereaux also featuring for the Blues. The visiting All Golds won all three games. However, on the return leg of their tour, almost a year later, with the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership established, the Blues won the first two matches they ever played under 13-a-side rules against New Zealand. Later in 1908 the Queensland team, whose first taste of rugby league football was also against the visiting Kiwis, traveled to Sydney for the first series of games between the two states. New South Wales won all three matches, setting a precedent for interstate dominance that would continue throughout most of the 20th century.
In 1910 New South Wales defeated the touring England team in two of their three games. After that they became the first Blues side to travel to Queensland for the annual interstate series.
In 1912 the New South Wales team first toured New Zealand. They also visited New Zealand in 1913. During the 1913 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia New South Wales played four matches against the Kiwis, winning three of them.
The New South Wales team lost its first game against Queensland in 1922. In 2019 the Blues also toured New Zealand.
In a 1954 tour match between Great Britain and New South Wales the referee left the field in disgust at the players' persistent fighting after 56 minutes so the match was abandoned.[2]
State of Origin era (1980–present)
New South Wales' dominance over Queensland came to an end with the introduction of 'state of origin' selection rules in the early 1980s.
Ricky Stuart, who had previously coached New South Wales in 2005, was announced as the first full-time Blues coach in November 2010. Following the 2012 series, the Blues' seventh consecutive loss, Stuart resigned the role. Stuart took a role as the Parramatta Eels head coach in 2013, citing family reasons for his move. Although the Blues continued their losing streak during Stuart's tenure, he is credited with restoring passion and pride to the NSW jersey and closing the gap between the two states. He was replaced by former Canberra, NSW and Australia teammate Laurie Daley. Daley's appointment as NSW State of Origin coach was announced in August 2012 and effective from season 2013. Daley got job over candidates including Trent Barrett, Brad Fittler and Daniel Anderson. Daley coached the Blues to a series win in 2014, their first since 2005 and over his coaching rival and long time Canberra & Australian teammate Mal Meninga. Daley ended Meninga's and Queensland's run of eight series wins with victories in Game I and Game II of the 2014 series. In 2015, New South Wales suffered its biggest origin loss losing 52–6 against Queensland in the decider. In 2016, New South Wales lost the series 2–1 but managed to win the third and final dead rubber game. In 2017, New South Wales were widely tipped to win the series as Queensland had a number of key players injured. In Game 1, New South Wales beat Queensland in convincing fashion 28–4 and in Game 2 were leading the maroons 16–6 at halftime before Queensland won the game in the final two minutes to win 18–16. In Game 3, New South Wales lost the series losing 22–6 in Brisbane. In August 2017, Daley was terminated as coach of New South Wales.[3]
In 2018, Brad Fittler was appointed as the new coach and left out established players such as Aaron Woods, Josh Jackson, Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan. The Blues went on to win the series 2–1.[4] In 2019, the Blues were widely tipped to win the series owing to the retirement from representative football of Queensland Origin greats Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith. However, Queensland had an upset win 18–14 over the Blues in Game 1 forcing Fittler to make seven changes to the Blues starting line-up. Though he was roundly criticised for the move,[5] the Blues went on to win the series 2–1, easily defeating Queensland 38–6 in Game 2 in Optus Stadium in PerthWestern Australia, the greatest winning margin of a Blues squad since Game 3, 2000.[6] Finally, in a thrilling Game 3 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, wingerBlake Ferguson and fullbackJames Tedesco combined to score the winning try with just 32 seconds to go in the game to secure the series, off the back of play started from recalled halfback Mitchell Pearce.[7] In the 2020 State of Origin series, New South Wales narrowly lost game 1 against Queensland 18–14 before bouncing back in game 2 winning 34–10. In game 3, New South Wales travelled to Brisbane for the decider, the blues would lose the match at Suncorp Stadium 20–14.[8] The 2021 State of Origin series was one which had been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic with all three matches being played in Queensland. New South Wales would win convincingly in game 1 defeating Queensland 50–6 in Townsville before defeating Queensland 26–0 in Brisbane to claim the series. Queensland managed to avoid a series clean sweep by winning game 3 20–18.[9] New South Wales started the 2022 State of Origin series with a narrow 16–10 loss in Sydney before a convincing 44–12 victory over Queensland in Perth during game 2. In game 3, the blues once again needed to play a decider in Brisbane. New South Wales lead the game 12-10 at half-time but conceded two late tries in the second half and lost 22-12.[10]
- Denotes no applicable sponsor for the listed period.
~ Major sponsor logo was featured on the jersey sleeve rather than the front from 1991-2003.
Since 1991, major sponsors logo has also featured above the NSW Blues logo on the team shorts. These are excluded from the "shorts sponsors" list unless the major sponsor logo also features on the rear/opposite leg to the team logo.
Since 1991, major sponsors logo has also featured above the NSW Blues logo on the jersey bust. These are excluded from the "minor sponsors" list, aside from both Wizard & Aussie Home Loans, which featured additionally on the collar from 2001-2010.
^ Indicates the sponsor was the naming-rights partner of the State of Origin series at the time, but the logo was displayed independently of the State of Origin logo.
"Winfield State of Origin" red box logo was added to the shorts in 1989 and featured until the end of the 1992 series, becoming the first naming rights partner to feature as a part of the State of Origin logo on a team kit.
"Winfield State of Origin" was embroidered in a plain navy font onto the jersey bust in 1991 & 1992, becoming the first naming rights partner to appear on a jersey.
Tooheys logo appeared on the jersey from 1993 until the conclusion of the 1996 series, no State of Origin logo was included on the jersey.
Tooheys featured as a part of the State of Origin logo from 1993 until the conclusion of the 1996 series, included on the NSW Blues shorts in each of those years.
Tooheys featured on the NSW Blues shorts in 1997 above the team logo as their major sponsor, Coca-Cola became naming rights partner of the series and became a part of the State of Origin logo on the shorts.
Ahead of the 2017 State of Origin series, NSW named the inaugural inductees to the NSWRL Hall of Fame, joining automatic inductees Dally Messenger and the seven Immortals who represented NSW.[17]
New South Wales have had a total of thirteen different coaches at State of Origin level, eight of which have previously played for the Blues. The list also includes the known coaches from the pre-Origin era and only counts games against Queensland. Games against touring teams from New Zealand, Great Britain and France are not included. Ted Glossop, Frank Stanton and Terry Fearnley are the only coaches to have coached NSW in both State of Residence and State of Origin formats.
NSWRL Hall of Fame inductee Brad Fittler is the incumbent coach for the NSW Blues.[19] In his first match in charge, he chose 11 players to debut.[20]
New South Wales 8–12 New Zealand 
Queensland 20–10 New South Wales 
