Predict the 2026 State of Origin teams

[GC2015]

The WA team is really taking shape now that 9 more representatives have been named. My guess is they'll line up like this:

B: ???, S.Taylor, ???
HB: L.Baker, T.Barrass, J.Clark
C: Br.Hill, S.Bolton, ???
HF: ???, A.Naughton, K.Pickett
F: C.Cameron, J.Hogan, L.Jackson
Fol: D.Cameron, P.Cripps, C.Warner
Int: ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

It's looking like a really strong team! They're certainly giving themselves a chance with several game winners being named in that team. Hopefully we see more Vic players named soon.

I find it pretty extraordinary that Charlie Cameron pulls on a WA jumper when he spent nearly all his life as a kid, up to the age of 17, in Queensland.

Ten more AFL Origin stars named as WA makes controversial pick, Victoria adds third-gen prodigy

Ten more AFL Origin stars named as WA makes controversial pick, Victoria adds third-gen prodigy

www.foxsports.com.au

It's certainly an eyebrow raising decision or lack thereof... I guess we should expect to see Will Ashcroft named to play for Victoria for the same reason. What a sad state of affairs when a developing market can actually lay legitimate claims to several star players in the competition that lived 17 years (Cameron) and 15 years (W.Ashcroft) in Queensland, and yet they both somehow end up playing for arguably the two strongest states in the country instead. A truly sad day for Queensland footy and this comes AFTER the decision to allow Kozzy Pickett to play for WA for essentially the same reason that would be used to claim Charlie Cameron and Will Ashcroft as Queenslanders for State of Origin competitions.

 

[kid_a]

Stuff the haters, the more names that keep getting drip fed the more keen i'm getting for this.

By February after being footy starved for months and genuinely having team in this game to cheer for I'll be keen as a bean as I'm sure most of the people at Optus will be

 

[Bjo187]

The WA team is really taking shape now that 9 more representatives have been named. My guess is they'll line up like this:

B: ???, S.Taylor, ???
HB: L.Baker, T.Barrass, J.Clark
C: Br.Hill, S.Bolton, ???
HF: ???, A.Naughton, K.Pickett
F: C.Cameron, J.Hogan, L.Jackson
Fol: D.Cameron, P.Cripps, C.Warner
Int: ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

It's looking like a really strong team! They're certainly giving themselves a chance with several game winners being named in that team. Hopefully we see more Vic players named soon.


It's certainly an eyebrow raising decision or lack thereof... I guess we should expect to see Will Ashcroft named to play for Victoria for the same reason. What a sad state of affairs when a developing market can actually lay legitimate claims to several star players in the competition that lived 17 years (Cameron) and 15 years (W.Ashcroft) in Queensland, and yet they both somehow end up playing for arguably the two strongest states in the country instead. A truly sad day for Queensland footy and this comes AFTER the decision to allow Kozzy Pickett to play for WA for essentially the same reason that would be used to claim Charlie Cameron and Will Ashcroft as Queenslanders for State of Origin competitions.

I think maybe with Cameron he's getting old so might be retired by the time Queensland suit up. I do like that it strengthens a weak WA team.

If Ashcroft plays for Victoria I'll be filthy. It wouldn't surprise me though, Dillon has such little feel for these kinda things, his decision making is really poor.

 

[Cmarsh]

Stuff the haters, the more names that keep getting drip fed the more keen i'm getting for this.

By February after being footy starved for months and genuinely having team in this game to cheer for I'll be keen as a bean as I'm sure most of the people at Optus will be

Victoria has now filled the majority of the side, and so far its pretty much the best team that could possibly be named.

Even better that players have said they will be looking at going in hard. Lets see if that eventuates, but genuinely very rare you get the opportunity to watch players of that quality on the same park.

If anything its a bit of egg on the face for those doubters who thought the players wouldn't care and their clubs would not support them.

 

[GC2015]

I think maybe with Cameron he's getting old so might be retired by the time Queensland suit up. I do like that it strengthens a weak WA team.

If Ashcroft plays for Victoria I'll be filthy. It wouldn't surprise me though, Dillon has such little feel for these kinda things, his decision making is really poor.

Yeah, look. If Will Ashcroft is not named for Victoria then I suspect that has to do with potentially saving him for a hypothetical Queensland state game in the future and I'd obviously rather have the Ashcrofts lining up for the Maroons over the next decade than a 32yo Charlie Cameron who may play once for QLD. I can live with that outcome.

Stuff the haters, the more names that keep getting drip fed the more keen i'm getting for this.

By February after being footy starved for months and genuinely having team in this game to cheer for I'll be keen as a bean as I'm sure most of the people at Optus will be

That's exactly the intended reaction the AFL wants and I think it's going to work. WA people often get behind big time events like this and I think we're going to see that again in February with a big crowd showing up at Optus. Especially considering their own state team is essentially competing for the status of the strongest footy state in Australia. You certainly can't say it lacks star power!

Victoria has now filled the majority of the side, and so far its pretty much the best team that could possibly be named.

Even better that players have said they will be looking at going in hard. Lets see if that eventuates, but genuinely very rare you get the opportunity to watch players of that quality on the same park.

If anything its a bit of egg on the face for those doubters who thought the players wouldn't care and their clubs would not support them.

That's exactly what has happened and you'll notice the detractors are nowhere to be seen in these threads anymore. All the preconceived opinions about why State of Origin will never work like the high profile players not wanting to play (wrong), the clubs will never release them for fear of injuries (wrong) etc. It's extremely rare to see this level of talent all on field at the same time and I suspect we're going to see a massive crowd show up + very strong TV ratings.