What Time Is State Of Origin Tonight: Daley Prepares NSW At 8.05pm

what time is state of origin tonight is 8.05pm AEST, with the 2026 opener set for Sydney's Accor Stadium. Laurie Daley's NSW Blues meet Billy Slater's Queensland Maroons in the first game of the series, and both sides will be finalised an hour before kick-off.

Accor Stadium, Sydney

The opener lands tonight at Accor Stadium, giving the series its first on-field answer after the pre-match build-up. The Blues are $1.65 favourites, while Queensland is at $2.25, so the market has NSW slightly ahead before a ball is kicked.

Forecast rain could make the conditions tricky at the venue. That leaves the final team lists and the opening exchanges carrying extra weight, especially with the squads not locked in until an hour before kick-off.

Daley And Slater

Daley is preparing his NSW group for the opener, while Slater has Queensland lined up for the same first-night assignment. The coaches go into the series with the same deadline on team selection, and the final calls will shape the match cards fans see inside the stadium and at home.

Latrell Mitchell sits in the broader story around the Blues, with Round 14 part of the wider frame around his Origin hopes. For tonight, though, the central detail is fixed: Sydney gets the series opener at 8.05pm AEST, and the final teams arrive an hour before that.