Just a few weeks ago now, New South Wales went up against Victoria in the League of Origin Final for 2018, sporting regional pride as they competed for the winning title.

Both teams were all smiles as they walked into the Margaret Court Arena on November 17th. Victoria marched into a home crowd, sporting a 5-1 score out of groups as they were opposed by the 4-2 New South Wales. Fans had flown in from across all regions of Oceania to watch these two teams compete, and potentially even sneak in a shoey onto the broadcast.

The rivalling states faced off against each other in a best of five, competing on behalf of their regions, with the boys in blue aiming to snatch the title from the reigning champions in slightly darker blue.

Tensions were high as the teams rode into the first game of the series. Despite Triple finding first blood onto Spookz at the beginning of the game, Team Victoria maintained a fairly stable gold lead against their opponents.

Despite this lead, NSW head coach Aaron ‘ChuChuz’ Bland remained confident in his team.

“I wasn’t really confident until I saw the first five minutes of game one,” he remarked, before correcting himself moments later, “Oh wait, we lost the first five minutes of game one. I could see them camping Triple and I noticed that our mentality remained the same.”

Refusing to be tilted by the Victorian boys, Team NSW made their slow and steady comeback over smaller skirmishes and executing on their objective control and team fights, securing themselves Rift Herald, Baron and then the Nexus at almost 27 minutes.

In game two, Victoria were looking to even the score in the shortest game of the series with Pabu as their carry on Viktor. This game was even closer, with neither team being more than 2k gold ahead of their opponent at any given time.

It was fairly back and forth but Victoria simply had more control over the map as a whole with crowd control provided by Claire and Jayke on Cassiopeia and Alistar respectively, enabling the team to win larger team fights, pushing for New South Wales’ Nexus with Baron buff on their side. With that final push, they were back in the game.

Still, the Sydneysiders remained tilt-proof and even somewhat confident, equipped with the same smiles they’d donned since day one.

“Even in game two, they came back to the room, we were like: we’re still gonna win this,” ChuChuz stated.

“I saw exactly what they did wrong and it was so easy to fix and in games three and four we just fixed it and won.”

“It feels like we just had a roster advantage. Like we definitely just had more talent; and you could just feel that in the game. At the end of the day, we just had better hands.”
Swip3rR, NSW Captain

With Swip3rR subbed back in for game three, the teams took to the Rift once more in a one-sided match in favour of the boys in baby blue, where Spookz on Taliyah would require a leash at four minutes on blue buff in order to hit level two after dying to Swip3rR’s Sion and Only’s Camille once each.

This would set the overall tempo for the game as NSW snowballed from this lead, demonstrating a confident performance in front of the former victors, taking the series to match point, much to the dismay of the Victorian crowd.

“Loved it! It was so fun! I loved it!” top laner Brandon ‘BioPanther’ Alexander shared his thoughts on the crowd with his signature smile, following up shortly after.

“You know someone’s supporting you out there, at the end of the day, so it’s fun.”

Game four saw both teams competing with even higher stakes; NSW fought for match point while Victoria fought for a chance to stay in the series.

“1000 APM!”
Destiny, NSW Support

“We all just wanted revenge… it felt like the intensity was high throughout the entire tournament,” NSW Captain Brandon ‘Swip3rR’ Holland commented in reference to last year’s loss, which had become a driving force behind NSW’s performance in 2018.

With BioPanther back into the game, both teams spawned for their final stand with first blood shed by FBI’s Tristana onto Jayke’s Braum.  Although favour in the first half of the game cycled between both teams, NSW would eventually reign supreme with BioPanther and FBI taking the helm as Victoria were outplayed, a final Baron push closing out League of Origin for 2018.

Team NSW come out on top to close out the series against Team VIC in the League of Origin Grand Final

After an extremely intense four-game series, NSW knocked down last year’s winning team, raising the League of Origin trophy in front of the former victor’s home crowd. General Manager Bryce ‘EGym’ Paul discussed the crowd’s uncharacteristic silence during this time,

“When something disastrous is happening to us, the crowd was going nuts, so it definitely felt like a more grand event this time.”

Against all odds, Team New South Wales redeemed themselves against Victoria to bring home the #NSWWIN after a great League of Origin tournament for 2018.

This regional pride will soon return to competitive rivalry as it reignites the flame for the next competitive season of League of Legends in Oceania.

For many, the chance to walk out onto Margaret Court Arena in the final of the League of Origin will be the chance to represent their state in the highest representative honour Oceanic League of Legends currently boasts.

For others, it’s simply a chance to hear the adoration of the crowd, or the possibility of making that one, decisive play that swings the game, the series and the whole competition in their favour.

For every player from New South Wales and Victoria, their best of five grand final clash in the heart of Melbourne Park in front of hordes of Oceanic fans will be an epic conclusion to their 2018 season, and the representative tournament they began just two weeks ago.

Fittingly, after the tug-of-war between NSW and VIC about where the ‘traditional heartland’ of Australian esports truly lies through the Melbourne Esports Open, both splits of the OPL and the entirety of the year, it all comes down to the two old rivals battling it out for dominance of the national stage.

Returning to the LoO Grand Final with vengeance in their hearts will be New South Wales, who last year saw their top seed slip through their fingers in a 1-3 defeat at the hands of their sworn rivals, while Victoria took the bragging rights in the competition’s debut year.

For NSW, who recovered from a shocking 0-2 start to their tournament with a series of “angry solo queue rage games” at a nearby net cafe on the evening of the opening day, there’s one thing clear in their mind – they’re the better team coming into the final bout, and Victoria are simply the last rivals standing in their way.

“I think you’d be crazy to think we’re not the best team in this tournament right now,” Jordan “Only” Middleton, NSW’s representative jungler, said of the roster’s championship talent.

“When we have everything figured out – like we showed on days two and three – we are in sync and clean, and we can just whack any other teams that stand in our way.

“I think the last game against Victoria is a perfect display of what people should expect when we come to Melbourne. The one aspect of the game that is against us is that the crowd will likely be a little hostile.”

Only, who also represented NSW in the 2017 format of the tournament – hosted in June of last year instead of in the off-season – also revealed how “fun” it’s been joining back into the state camp and aiming for the finals again.

“It’s such an awesome thing to play alongside all these players that just know what it’s like to win all the time, and have all this success behind them,” Legacy Esports’ jungler said. “Last year was a massive learning curve for me and now I’m a bit more settled into it all and I think I’m getting an even better experience this time around.”

“All that said, I’ve been having so much fun this time around. It’s been really competitive, and close, so it’s been so awesome. I’m so f**king into playing for your state and all the ‘try-harding’ that it brings it. It’s so cool.”

It’s a similar sentiment shared by Aaron “ChuChuZ” Bland, who has taking the coaching helm of New South Wales after just one year in a commanding role.

After a mixed year in the coaching seat at ORDER, the Oceanic Pro League’s first Melbourne-based organisation, ChuChuz now finds himself aiming to shut down the southern city’s best hopes, after bringing the team back from the brink of a 0-2 start.

“We thought our team was most stacked coming into the tournament, and we had a lot of finalists, but then after that first day we had a period where we had to recover,” he explained. “Their response – including grinding at the cafe straight after the loses until the next morning – was fantastic. It really shows that championship quality that our team has.”

“Our whole team is filled with strong players who have all been in positions of loss in the OPL before, so it was quite professional when we finally got back together and started preparing for the second day.”

For ChuChuz, one small mistake early in the tournament may even hold the key to a victory in the grand final – during the first match against Victoria, Bland spoke the wrong champion name in the game’s ban phase, leaving a strong and influential pick up for NSW’s arch-rivals.

“I think it had a really big effect on that first game, and it ended up being a really big mistake which I was kicking myself over,” ChuChuz revealed. “I called Inero [Golden Guardians head coach Nick Smith] straight after I screwed up the ban and spoke to him about it, and he helped me feel a bit better about it all and gave me solutions for if it should happen again.”

“The fact that we turned around on the third day and got the win over Victoria means that we’re all really confident in our ability to take wins against them. I won’t be making the same mistake that I did on the first day, so we won’t have any problems like that again.

“Having that idea in our head, and knowing we clawed our way back to qualification with strong compositions and finished with a strong win over Victoria, means we’re heading into the finals with a lot of confidence for sure.”

On the other side of the Margaret Court Arena stage will be the defending champions, with the roar of the crowd behind them as they look to go back-to-back with state dominance, and prove once and for all that Melbourne really is Australia’s home of esports.

After sweeping through New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand in their opening five matches in League of Origin, Victoria finished with a 5 win, 1 loss record after their last game against NSW against them.

Victoria’s coach, Dire Wolves instructor Curtis “Sharp” Morgan, believes the final may come down to a pick/ban “coinflip”, after Victoria proved they’re equal to or greater than the New South Wales line-up in the round robin.

“Victoria has been notoriously quite poor in the lead-up to this tournament, and our scrims weren’t that great, but we definitely have pulled it out on stage,” Sharp said. “NSW have a lot of championship quality, and we’ve heard that a lot recently, but we have so many veterans as well.”

“As expected it’s now NSW and VIC in the grand final, on paper these rosters have the greatest pool of talent, so right now I think it’s a major coinflip when we head into the final series.

“For me, the drafts and bans are going to be a major factor in the final, if I am the one that can beat out ChuChuz and get my team a good composition and a good objective through the pick/ban phase then I think that’s going to make all the difference on the Rift.”

Sharp also praised League of Origin for the “fun nature” that it brought to the region, as well as the increased competition it brings in a month that is often seen as a ‘lull’ period in Australia and New Zealand.

“The tournament has definitely been a lot better because it’s in the off-season, for a long time Oceanic players have felt a bit ‘bored’ when it comes to the OPL finishing and waiting for the free agency period, so to have this competition now is great,” he said.

“We’re only in the second year but the OCE scene is becoming so much more competitive so it’s becoming a real honour to represent your state and get to this high level in the region.

“The fact that we can come together with the best and play and work alongside them is really awesome, and all the storylines that surround Origin are just being formed now so it’s really cool to be involved in the first steps of that, and to see it all be built.”

One player who has been thoroughly wrapped up in the storylines of the Origin series has been Brandon “Claire” Nguyen, who has represented Victoria in a dual mid lane role with Simon “Swiffer” Papamarkos.

Claire, who plays the central role for Legacy Esports in the OPL and often finds himself shoulder-to-shoulder with New South Wales’ Only in the domestic league, now sits across from him in the biggest representative tournament of the year.

Despite that, and Only’s goad that “Victoria should consider making sure Swiffer starts because [Middleton] has Claire’s number”, Claire is focused on just one thing – hearing the cheers of the Melbourne crowd, and making them remember the grand final.

“I think one of the main things that I’ve been a little bit disappointed by this competition is that we haven’t been in front of a live audience yet,” Claire said in the lead-up to the Margaret Court Arena event.

“I’m looking forward to getting out on stage and playing in front of the Victorian crowd because I just love that energy that being in front of fans brings. It’s been missing from the round robins, and I think having it all the way through would give a bit more feeling of ‘representing your state’.”

Nguyen also admitted that the roar of the crowd could lead him to searching for that “one big play that could close out the game”, at least as long as it’s not going to cause his team to fall behind or even lose a game or the series.

“I definitely love being able to make that massive high-impact play if I see the opportunity, to be able to do it in front of fans is something that I love,” he said.

“That said, I also just want to win and to be able to get the victory with everyone in Victoria is going to be awesome. It’s been a different experience for me because I’ve never really been a sub before, but it’s been special to be involved and have this experience.”

While coaches, players and fans alike are heading into the League of Origin grand final with different expectations, ideas and dreams, both New South Wales and Victoria will share a similar vision – their team, and their state, lifting the trophy and proving their dominance over the rest of the Australian and New Zealand representatives.

The Origin final will be played at Margaret Court Arena on Saturday, November 17. The first match is to be played at 5.30pm, and will be streamed on Twitch and YouTube.

Tickets for the grand final are still on sale, find them here.

There are some questions as old as time itself: Does pineapple go on pizza? Tomato sauce in the fridge or the pantry? Are hot dogs sandwiches? New Zealand or Australia? Which Australian state is the best? While some of these are far too controversial to have definitive answers, others are able to be answered – at least for another year.

Last weekend, New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland and Victoria hit Summoners’ Rift, placing their pride on the line in exchange for a potential spot in the Grand Final as they fought over three gruelling days at League of Origin.

Setting aside all rules for regional pride, friendships are burned at the stakes of competition, while former foes turned to friends forged in the flame. This is how it panned out for each team.

Team QLD

Dominated by OCS players, there was a notable experience gap between Queensland and the other states stacked with seasoned OPL veterans. Not to be deterred, the maroons were ready to silence the critics, all while showcasing some of the best talent in the country.

Against New Zealand on day one, they were unable to maintain their early lead in the bot lane, there was something about a Chronobreak, and then a few teamfights later they faced the state-coloured defeat screen.

A similarly unfortunate performance would be witnessed in their next game against Victoria as the rookie filled roster was simply outplayed by the veterans, particularly Claire’s Irelia, resulting in a winless day for Queensland.

Day two for the Sunshine State held a similar fate to the first. Victoria were merciless against the poor Queenslanders who were against outmatched and delivered their third loss. Against NSW, they would face a similar demise in another stomp, knocking out the Queenslanders in a cruel first two days.

However, this didn’t sway them from giving their all until the end. In a close match against New Zealand, they were unable to convert their pressure into a lead and experienced yet another loss. With one last chance to redeem themselves against NSW, it never seemed to eventuate, once again being stormed over as they finished the tournament winless.

They weren’t discouraged by the losses though. “I have things to work on now,” said Farmer, the OCS ADC using the tournament as a driver for improvement. “Living in a competitive atmosphere where everyone’s priority is learning how to be the best has given me a taste of a competitive level I’d never experienced before.”

Team NZ

Expectations were uncertain about New Zealand, however, this was quickly subject to change. They surprised the masses with a convincing win against Queensland in their first game, bouncing back from an enemy first blood and initial gold deficit for a small portion of the game due to a great performance across all lanes.

For their next match against NSW, they continued to dominate with only four deaths across the board – including two executes – sealing off day one for New Zealand 2-0.

Off the back of New Zealand’s day one performance, you could argue that Decoy was due a role swap. “I felt like having no pressure helps out,” the support main said, “people don’t expect much from you so you can just focus on yourself.”

The second day seemed to take a turn for the worst for Team NZ who were perhaps a bit too confident following the success of day one. In their rematch, NSW made it impossible to climb back from the gold deficit as New Zealand struggled to gain control over the map, bringing their short win-streak to an end.

They then struggled to replicate their day one performance against yet-to-be-defeated Victoria, choking out the Kiwis. This wasn’t the end for them, however; with two wins under their belt, potential remained for them to qualify for the finals.

With the weight of the nation carried on their shoulders, they carried into day three. Fighting for their chance at finals, New Zealand went up against the undefeated Victoria once again, but struggled to keep up with the high tempo.

They recovered in their final game against Queensland in a back-and-forth game, but it was not enough to secure a spot in the finals, finishing 3-3 overall just behind NSW at 4-2.

“I think pick-ban was hard for us on the blue side and it led to skewed matchups,” Decoy admitted. “We figured out what was wrong in our picks/bans a bit too late in the tournament.” Either way, the Kiwis can still hold their heads high after a valiant attempt to dethrone the kings and queens of Oceanic League of Legends.

Team NSW

From the reveal of the team, Team New South Wales were thought to be a strong contender for the win, made up of some of the OPL’s top players. However, for the boys in light blue, it wasn’t as easy as it was made out to be.

Despite a good start in their first game against Victoria, they ended the match without taking any turrets as they bowed to a swift defeat. Revitalizing the roster with the armoured titan didn’t seem to help for game two as Chippys on Aatrox rolled over NSW to give them a 0-2 start.

Yet, despite ending the first day with both games lost, they persisted with wide smiles, perhaps as a testament for what was to come. “I think the rough start was due to everyone getting back into the game and not executing our plans on stage and changing them last minute,” NSW top laner BioPanther jested.

NSW carried into game one of day two with their heads held high, bouncing back from the result as a totally different team as they went against New Zealand again.

Players from across the map had a fantastic performance, with an exceptionally clean Mountain Drake steal from Only on Kindred followed by an ace by the rest of his team to secure their first victory of the tournament.

This was only the beginning of the comeback. Against Queensland in game two, they maintained absolute control over the map, walking away with a 2-0 on day two and a redeemed chance for a spot at finals.

Going into day three, neck and neck with New Zealand, they needed to best their trans-Tasman rivals on record to qualify for the grand final. They slayed the seemingly dominant Victoria to hand them their only loss in the group stage – even taking the time to pad their stats underneath their fountain.

They then went on to swiftly obliterate the winless Queenslanders, wearing the same smile they won on day one but with two totally different results. They were due a rematch for the title against Victoria and they are ready to come out all guns blazing in Melbourne.

“As a team, we felt confident coming into the event even though we went 0-2 on day one,” said BioPanther. “We knew that we could bounce back due to the synergies we build up together in such a short time during the bootcamp. Everyone wanted to just have a #NSWWIN this year!”

Team VIC

As the reigning champions of League of Origin, this lineup of star players can only be described as VICious, driven forward by their successful results of last year along with the potential of playing for a home crowd in the finals.

They played a dominant game one against NSW, absolutely demolishing the roster of some of the OPL’s best players without mercy shown. With ease, they carried this through to game two against Queensland, pushing it a step further against the newer roster as they quickly snowballed until they were no longer able to keep up, ending 18k gold ahead of the lineup with standout performances from Claire and k1ng.

Showing no signs of stopping on day two, Claire burst down New Zealand’s hopes of staying undefeated on LeBlanc in their first game of the day, maintaining their own perfect record. Their rematch against Queensland was a similar story, but instead it was Pabu dominating the game with an early quadra suffocating the rookies out of the game.

With a perfect record and a place at Margaret Court Arena secured, Victoria didn’t seem to be slowing down against New Zealand on day three as k1ng’s Xayah being vital to their fifth victory. Only one win away from the perfect record, NSW turned the tables, putting on a show as they downed Victoria in the pre-show for the finals.

“We weren’t expecting to take first out of groups,” mid laner Swiffer admitted, “but we are pretty happy with the result.”

Losing to NSW took a bit of wind out of Victoria’s sails though, with Swiffer saying “the seed of doubt has been planted in our minds.” Regardless, with an outstanding score of 5-1, they were on their way to a home grand final, where they will be seeking revenge for that last game loss.

By placing players that don’t typically interact with each other alongside one another, it creates a fresh dynamic and synergy between a team, even if just for a short while, which can offer valuable insight and connections for a player.

“Honestly, most players outside of the Dire Wolves, I never interacted or talked with properly and with this whole event I was able to talk to different people throughout the OPL and grew closer to the scene because of it!”
Brandon “Biopanther” Alexander

Origin is the perfect time to harness their teamwork, mechanics and competitive spirit all in the name of regional pride. Driven by fans divided by state lines, it helping individual players to grow and gain an understanding of one another along with themselves.

“I think it’s cool how the players come together; you hear things about players and what they’re like under pressure but you don’t really get to experience it until something like this. Now is an opportunity to see what I’ve learnt this year and see what I need to tune for next year.”
Simon “Swiffer” Papamarkos

It can often remind them players of why they enjoy the competitive nature of the game in the first place, especially in a time where it’s somewhat vacant, reigniting motivation that may have fallen off in the off season.

“Playing some comp games made me realize how much I love being in the competitive scene. Being in off season feels so bad and I’m just itching to play again.”
Daniel “Decoy” Ealam

While Origin is after all for regional pride, the stakes are different for each player. Although Team New South Wales and Victoria are heading to Margaret Court Arena on November 17 for the grand finals, all players managed to take something out with them whether they won or lost.

“This was my first experience interacting with a team in person over more than a single day so it gave me the opportunity to confront and evaluate my behaviour outside of the game for the first time. I feel like I grew more in this week than I have all year.”
George “Farmer” Normore

Snowball Esports will be covering the League of Origin Grand Final live on the ground on November 17. Be sure to catch our special preview of the VIC vs NSW showdown tomorrow.

League of Origin brings the Australian rivalry we all know and love to the best battlefield in the world – Summoner’s Rift. A time where teams are broken and players unite under one common principle: regional pride.

There’s good reason as to why League of Origin is in Victoria in the first place. GG EZ is infinitely better than any other watering hole around the place. We are the true home of Australian esports with the best franchised team in Australia. Melbourne Esports Open and PAX come here for good reason.

It’s not even just esports we are better at. Victoria actually has coffee compared to the brown water you find in Sydney. It’s home to the better code of football – none of that rugby stuff. Oh, someone mentioned New Zealand were playing?

For General Manager Jake “Spawn” Tiberi, nothing beats waking up and realising you aren’t in Sydney. The mastermind behind Australia’s biggest and best esports organisation, as well as the country’s best caster, laughed at the thought of anyone topping Victoria.

“Anyone saying that Victoria won’t win is trolling. I’m sorry but there’s just no way. The other teams have some good players but the meta doesn’t suit them and individually they are outclassed.” (cc: Vedius)

Backed up by the tactical mastermind of Curtis “Sharp” Morgan, coach of the forever-victorious Dire Wolves, there are more reasons for Victoria winning than there is laneways in the CBD. “The other regions will struggle. When you’ve got the most experienced Jungle-Mid duo in Spookz and Swiffer, the rest of the solo queue teams will fail.”

Only one look at our depth charts confirms that we are home to the most banging squad in Australia. In fact, so many players missed out that maybe it could be worth having the Victorian State Championships next year instead of League of Origin? Anyways, let’s reflect on the best six.

The Better Boys In Blue

Pabu

Spawn: Pabu is inevitably going to be the best top laner. After all, he dyes his hair to get the mental edge over anyone else in the top lane.

The man with the best hair in the OPL, Pabu is the young superstar looking to prove that he is the best top laner in the server.  as well as helping his home state defend their title.

Spookz

Spawn: The fittest member of the team, anniepathaway ensures he has the endurance to wear down other junglers.

Returning to the Origin stage after a year that saw him move to the superior Melbourne based team ORDER, Spookz will be looking to show that he is still one of the best junglers in OCE even after being in the scene longer than a James Cameron movie marathon.

Swiffer

Spawn: Uses his diplomatic skills and smooth soothing voice to negotiate his way through tough laning phases, eliminating any need to fight.

While diplomacy is one of his strong points, his stronger point is his explosive plays in the midlane and perfect synergy. Not to mention he’s a perfect physical specimen – worthy of a TV show.

Claire

Spawn: Single handedly won Rift Rivals, knocked ORDER out of two OPL splits and now is looking to win Origin.

How many states have Snowball’s MVP for the Split? One. Us. The literal God of Oceania is here to claim his throne amongst such pitiful opponents like other states and some random country.

k1ng

Spawn: The only ADC in the league that understands they can (and should) play weak side time to time, and what a ‘macro’ is (it’s not a food group guys).

If Claire is the God, k1ng is the King. With four OPL titles under his belt and multiple international tournaments, he’s got the experience to run over some solo queue players from Queensland.

Jayke

Spawn: Was raised in the disappointment of fourth place but is now the hungriest player in the OPL. After tasting one victory at Origin, he will do anything to win again – just watch out for his Taric-Urgot combo with k1ng.

Who is better – Bailey or Kobe? While Bailey is a good boy, Kobe is the gooder boy – and his owner is none other than Jayke. While playing in League of Origin guarantees him a finish outside of fifth, the captain of Avant returns home to run amok on the other states.

The Inferior States

It’s a real shame players of this calibre have to actually play the game to show they are the best state because living in Victoria instead of the other two states and one country proves enough. I spoke to Spawn, Jayke and k1ng; who seemed to agree with this sentiment too.

“QLD is one of the two long-standing sides in the State of Origin, and it’s disappointing to see how they’re represented in the League of Origin,” k1ng stated, “but it’s not their fault.”

“I’m not even sure why Queensland put a team forward,” Jayke followed up. “Just like last year they’re all just going to be playing for fun.”

There’s always fun in a tournament like this to be had though. “Hopefully, they can get a few laughs out of the tournament and don’t expect to do anything meaningful,” Jayke said.

As for the pity country who have more sheep in a paddock than players on the Oceania server, they couldn’t even find a proper jungler. “Can I please buy a jungler for this region? I will fund it with last year’s winnings,” Spawn offered. “There’s not a jungle main in the entire country since Soulstrikes retired.”

K1ng thinks their success lies in his ex-teammate gone retiree Cupcake. “I’m gauging the success of this team based on how hard Cupcake wants to try this tournament.”

Not to mention they are missing the entire reason they were close to being remotely successful in 2017. “If they couldn’t win with NA LCS superstar Lost what chance do they have this year?” Jayke questioned. “It’s just going to be another easy match up for us – if we could somehow win playing Urgot/Taric last year I don’t see us losing this year.”

Lastly, old rival New South Wales shouldn’t even be able to land a finger on us. “NSW is the only team I’m interested in playing against,” Jayke moaned.

“Somehow Destiny got robbed by EGym last year so their roster is looking strong.”

Spawn redrew party lines to make sure the ORDER boys got a good rep. “They have the best ADC and Coach in the league (#ORDERUP by the way), so I’m really excited for us to play them in the final.” After all, it’s either a win for Victoria or Melbourne ORDER – we can’t lose.

k1ng’s not too fazed either. “I think everyone knows that NSW have the best spread of talent over all roles compared to every other team; but the same case could be made last year as well and we saw how that turned out.”

Closing Statement

While the meta might lend into a bit of a fiesta according to Coach Sharp, nothing can shake the steadfast wrath of Victoria. We’ve been on the warpath, becoming the undisputed home of esports in Australia, and no combination of solo queue teams can stop our reign.

Even if NSW are clinging onto the slightest glimmer now, a second win at Origin will bring great dividends to General Tiberi and Lieutenant Carmody. Oh, and two other teams exist too. Not like we care though.

In the ongoing esports vs sports debate, one factor that is often neglected is the weather. Esports suffer none of the weather-related pitfalls of your average Joe weekend sports.

You don’t see Faker constantly refreshing the council webpage or calling the hotline to find out about ground closures. Esports athletes play on the all-weather field of my professional amateur soccer playing dreams. Unfortunately, this distinction does not apply to esports media days.

When it began to rain on the League of Origin media day, any hope of captaincy presentations in the open air of the Sydney Cricket Ground was dashed. Instead, players, staff, media… and freshly appointed team captains, sheltered in the Esports High Performance Centre. It turned out to be a great opportunity for everyone to sit down and talk League of Origin.

League of Origin is the League of Legends equivalent of the State of Origin. The tournament pits mate against mate, state against state … against New Zealand. Rosters for the four teams, comprised of current OPL and OCS players, were announced several weeks ago. At the League of Origin media day, the team captains were announced to be: Brandon ‘Swip3Rr’ Holland for NSW, Samuel ‘Spookz’ Broadley for VIC, Leo ‘Babip’ Romer for QLD, and Ryan ‘Chippys’ Short for NZ.

Spookz admits that he was surprised to be named the captain of the Victorian team. “Three members of Team VIC are captains of their respective OPL teams, so I consider this to be a surprise and an honour.”

Swip3rR, on the other hand, was less surprised about his appointment. “When Aaron ‘Chuchuz’ Bland asked the NSW team, ‘who is going to be captain?’ everyone looked at me,” Swip3rR explained.

“I didn’t volunteer, but I enjoy the responsibility. I was the leader of the Chiefs this year, and it was a good learning experience for me. Playing with new players will mean I get to learn even more.”

League of Origin gives players the opportunity to compete alongside players they do not usually compete alongside. “I am looking forward to playing with Triple, as I haven’t played with him before,” said Swip3rR. “I really respect Triple and BioPanther, and I have learnt a lot from them already.”

The mix-up of team rosters means players are also competing against their OPL teammates. At the Esports High Performance Centre, the players have been separated into training rooms based on their team, but no-one is adhering to the room allocations. In one room, there are nine people from various teams chatting and scrimming. At one point, Spookz, Swip3rR and Babip are on the floor engaging in some improvised Jiu Jitsu. Comradery knows no state boundaries.

“Playing against my current [OPL] teammates is really fun,” says Swip3rR. “I enjoy defeating Babip. He is the Jungler on the Chiefs. We’re really good friends, but it is fun to trash talk.”

“On ORDER, we all know each other very well- in-game and our habits,” notes Spookz. “Though, for this tournament, Tally kind of cheated because he went to Korea and bootcamped himself. He is going to be turbocharged.”

Queensland has a fresh-faced roster, complete with four OCS players. Spookz rates them on par with the NZ roster, but below NSW and VIC. “I am always skeptical when it comes to new OPL players,” he explains. “Dire Wolves showed this year that you can pull an ‘amateur’ player from OCS and turn them into a really good player given the right environment.” Spookz can’t decide whether the new players will struggle under the pressure or shine on stage. Swip3rR believes the League of Origin provides a great opportunity for the OCS players to prove themselves, and that they’ll work hard coming in to the tournament.

After his successful rookie year with the Chiefs, Babip believes he is well-positioned to lead his team to lead his team. “I will be able to give my team a lot of good advice,” he explained. “I’ve already told the team that the difference between OCS and OPL players is small. If they have no fear, fight hard and try to outplay the opponent, we can win. We are going to thrive in the chaos. There is a lot of promise in this roster.”

Swip3rR likens the League of Origin to scouting grounds, so players will be giving it their all. Make sure you tune in to League of Origin kicks off on Friday, November 9^th at 6pm AEDT on Twitch.

There’s many names for our wonderful country. New Zealand. Aotearoa. Land of the Long White Cloud. Kiwiland. Middle Earth. But soon all the Aussies will be calling us League of Origin Champions for 2018.

We’ve had some good times, us and the Aussies, I won’t deny that. But when the time rolls around to enter Summoners Rift, our boys will avenge the 1981 cricket match, the battle over the humble pavlova and every slight handed to us by those koalas across the ditch.

Last year, us Kiwis placed second in the group stage before dropping to Victoria in the semis. Led by Cameron “Crunch” Russell with Chippys in the top lane, Legacy coach Soulstrikes in the jungle, Raes role swapping to mid with now Echo Fox ADC Lost and Cupcake rounding out the bot lane.

The team was coached by Jonny “Saiclone” Weatherly, who’s made a return to the New Zealanders this year as General Manager. I spoke to him as part of the buildup to this year’s event as well as Scott “Windowsmonkey” Farmer, coach for the Bombers who takes Saiclone’s place as coach of the NZ team.

This year the two have put together a fearsome squad, and these five players are bound to strike fear into the hearts of the Aussies. I mean, it’s not that hard to scare them, their national colours are yellow and green! Anyway, onto our mighty nation’s first player.

Chippys

Saiclone: Chippys is a weapon, and I’m very glad he’s on our team.

Saiclone’s words ring true, as the self-proclaimed “Best in the Ocean” definitely has the credentials to back it up. Part of the victorious Dire Wolves from 2017 to the end of Split 1 2018, any top laner that goes up against him, either in solo queue or a competitive game will walk away with many a bruise as a warning not to cross Chippys again.

Decoy

Saiclone: Decoy has been unchained from the bot lane, so expect some River Shen level pressure. The transition from Support to jungle should be the easiest transition. He’s preparing well and feels confident

We’re so good at League of Legends that we’re going to send a support to tangle with the likes of Babip, Spookz and Only, and it’s not Decoy that’ll be walking away with a negative KDA.  Saiclone says he’s feeling confident, and he should be. It’s not like he’s facing off against Worlds MVP Ning or OCE’s best jungler in Shernfire.

Shok

Saiclone: Ari has been playing Urgot since before it was cool.

Shok has been the perennial Kiwi in the OPL, the star of the NZ-based Tectonic lineup, signed after stomping everyone in Challenger whilst still in high school. Renowned for his pocket Urgot, he was vindicated after priority soared the world over and showed that even after Rutherford and Jackson, the Kiwis can be innovators.

Raes

Saiclone: Raes is one of those special AD players who thinks as fast as his hands can move, and I fully expect him to come up clutch at least twice.

When Raes joined the OPL, he had big shoes to fill. But the so-called “Pentakill King” has more than stepped up to the challenge, and can easily go toe-to-toe with any of those Australian ADCs. Well, not toe-to-toe, expect him to dance around the opposition and leave them in the dust.

Pluto

Saiclone: Pluto is my secret weapon, that’s all I can tell you.

And lastly, we have Team New Zealand’s super sub, current Avant ADC Pluto. He spent most of the year biding his time in the OCS before bounding up to save AV from relegation against Tectonic. But now he’s here, and should the team need it, expect him to fly in and banish the Australians back to his planetary namesake. Don’t worry though, the Australians should be fine out there, most of their country might as well be another planet anyway.

Cupcake

Saiclone: Cupcake’s vision score is low because he’s too busy reading the enemies’ minds to waste time putting down wards.

Cupcake is anything but, and even in retirement I’m sure he’ll arrive at Margaret Court Arena with a vengeance. Also part of the Dire Wolves’ campaign this year, he set up many of k1ng’s rampages, and with him alongside Raes instead of k1ng, expect a new bot lane duo to take over Oceania.

Moving on the teams that the Kiwis will go up against, Saiclone had a few choice comments. On Victoria, the team that knocked us out last year, he said “[they have] a lot of strong players, but the question is always whether they’ll be willing to work together.”

And he’s right, with plenty of big personalities such as Jackson “Pabu” Pavone and Calvin “k1ng” Truong, the individually strong Victorians can tear themselves apart as easily as they could the other Australians in the competition.

Both Raes, the legendary Kiwi ADC as well as Chippys, New Zealand’s own monster in the toplane believe that Victoria have definitely dropped down this year, with Chippys noting that “VIC threw away any chance they had of winning by not picking up the only good Melbourne player Richard “Phantiks” Su.”

K1ng is definitely the player to watch out for in the Victorian lineup, but as Windowsmonkey astutely mentioned, “K1ng has to lane with Jayke, so this should limit his impact”. The Avant support is getting on in years in his competitive career, plus his dog has made him far too soft and erased any killer instinct he might have left.

He also mentioned that Pabu along with New South Wales’ Swip3rR “can only play potato top tanks” which when going up against the legend himself in Chippys is just asking for punishment. At least if they play Mundo they can pretend they’re enjoying it.

The Victorians won’t be beating us or the other “big” player in this year’s League of Origin, New South Wales. Dubbed the “expensive compromise between VIC and QLD.” by Saiclone, the wealth of experience in this NSW side could prove their undoing. An event like this requires flexibility of communication, playstyle, etc and sometimes more experience can make it harder to pivot when needed.

But unlike Victoria and the sickly-looking Queensland, our team is cautious of Team NSW, even if it just because they could easily do us dirty much like fellow NSW man Trevor Chappell. Raes said “NSW have a really solid roster and are looking like the clear favourites based on players alone.” with Chippys also noting “I think the only team we’ll have to watch out for is NSW since their mid and bot is really good “

They’ll pick up wins over Victoria for sure, and for NZ’s last opposition, I think everyone will be walking over Queensland. Only Saiclone has any faith in the men from the Sunshine State, telling me “If these guys could have 2 top laners at once they’d be insane. Alas, there are also jungle camps on the bot side of the map, so they’ll have to make some compromises. Expect these guys to have one strategy, and to do it really well.”

I mean, when two legends of Oceanic League of Legends tell you that “I can’t remember any of the players except Babip so I’m sure they’ll be free” and “Queensland are by far the worst team at the event and I would be surprised to see them take a game off anyone,” it is pretty damning.

I also talked to Windowsmonkey about the meta, and he had this to say. “I think the game is quite chaotic at the moment. A lot of fighting and high risk plays. Laning strength is probably the most valuable asset for a player to have.” And who better to take advantage of this than the Kiwis?

The team is feeling their impending victory, with Chippys commenting “We definitely need to get some revenge for last year and show those Aussies that New Zealand is the best” as well as Windowsmonkey saying “NZ can stomp everyone of course. I believe we have really strong laners and individual players who will be able to snowball lanes both with topside and bot side focused strategy.”

The stage is set for the biggest stomp of the year as the Kiwis take on not one, not two, but three Aussie teams. And it’s not going to even stop us!

Just be careful in case some of the cheating koalas boot up a sneaky word.exe so they only lose by 20k gold instead of 30k. It’s time to raise the kiwis!

There are many reasons states across Australia lock horns – rugby league’s State of Origin series is a major battleground between New South Wales and Queensland, while arguments over the quality of coffee often divides the founding state and Victoria.

I’ve even heard arguments over beaches, climates, the size of towns and cities, the beer and food that is available, and any number of things that citizens across the borders feel aggrieved about.

For Oceanic Pro League fans, their state-against-state rivalry comes in the form of an end-of-year tournament, where the winner takes bragging rights and a wicked looking trophy in the League of Origin series.

For New South Wales, the overwhelming favourites heading into the competition, three teams stand in their way of glory in 2018 – Victoria, Queensland and New Zealand (ham-fisted into LoO to give those poor sods across the ditch something to do while they wait for the next All Blacks fixture to appear).

Being a New South Welshman, I had the privilege and honour to have a pre-tournament discussion with the state’s GM, and perhaps the greatest analytical mind the OPL has ever seen, Bryce “EGym” Paule, who didn’t mince words when it came to NSW’s Origin championship hopes: “We have no flaws in our team”.

“I was on the team in 2017 and I am definitely washed up at this point, so we’ve removed the key problem,” Paule laughed. “Now I just get to flame all the other teams on broadcast, instead of struggling around on the Rift.”

It’s a feeling echoed by veteran top laner and just all round great bloke Brandon “Swip3rR” Holland, who will be sharing time with the Dire Wolves’ champion top laner, Brandon “BioPanther” Alexander.

Swip3rR, who is now representing NSW for the second year in a row, believes the tournament is going to be “pretty easy”, especially after comparing the rosters of the four teams on offer.

“We have the best roster across the board, and we have the most finalists in one team heading into the comp – me, Destiny, Triple and BioPanther were all in the grand final just gone and I don’t think any of the other teams come close,” Holland said.

“For example, the Victorian team has two players that came fourth place two splits in a row, so if we can avoid shitting the bed this time around we’re just going to have an easy time, in all honesty.”

The Boys In Blue

BioPanther

EGym: What hasn’t been said about BioPanther, coming into the split he was a rookie and he’s already proven his talent and worth.

The charming rookie of the OPL, and loved by anyone who has ever watched a game in the Australian league – or even just those that have seen his picture to be honest – the first of the team’s two champion Brandons comes into LoO after a scorching 2018 domestic season.

Swip3rR

EGym: Dossy – Big Swips – has got a good head on his shoulders, and leadership qualities are definitely necessary for a team of misfits that are learning to play together, so he’s going to be massive in that regard.

The second Brandon to grace the best team heading into the tournament, ‘Big Swips’ has long been a name synonymous with top lane strength in the Oceanic Pro League, and his appearances in LoO 2018 will be no different – expect some of his favourite picks in the top lane once he’s unleashed.

Only

EGym: Only is the wildcard coming into the team, he brings that flair and his champion pool options are great. When we surround him with leaders like Destiny and Swip3rR he will really come into his own.

Swip3rR: I think that Only has one of the biggest chances to just destroy teams, he showed that when he single-handedly took apart ORDER in the playoffs, that was basically just a one man effort.

While Only’s 2018 was a mixed one as a whole, the Legacy Esports’ jungler completely re-wrote his form in the tail end of Split 2, as the roster fought their way into the playoffs before dismantling Bombers and ORDER – mostly thanks to the red-hot form of Middleton. If Only can continue his streak of ascendancy in League of Origin, none will stand in his way.

Triple

EGym: It’s been proven he’s been the most consistent player in the entire region in 2018, and he’s just constantly been growing. He’s very clearly number one mid for the league in my eyes, and for anyone.

Fresh off the back of a learning experience at the 2018 World Championships in Korea, Triple will be hungry to remind Oceanic fans why he’s one of the best mid laners to have graced the Rift Down Under. For the former Dire Wolf, the state-contest may be a proving ground, and what better way to flex your muscles than wiping away two inferior states and a spare country.

FBI

EGym: He does this weird thing where he stands and clicks the Z button when he plays, and I used to do that when I played so I can confidently say he has the best mechanics in the tournament because of that. His mechanics are just through the roof.

Although 2018 Split 2 didn’t end in a fashion ORDER were expecting, two third place finishes for the southern-based organisation was still a strong campaign overall, and at the heart of their triumphs was an even stronger New South Welshman – FBI. The Victorians may not be pleased to realise they were carried by someone north of the border, and will be even less pleased when he styles on them come League of Origin.

Destiny

Swip3rR: There’s so much comfort in the bot lane because they both play very similar, and Destiny has that leadership quality that is great. He and FBI have already come together and are just going to be unstoppable.

New South Wales’ last – but certainly not least – member for the 2018 roster probably encapsulates the squad’s ambitions heading into the tournament: it’s the best state’s destiny to lift the trophy in 2018, and Shaw will be looking to help guide the team to that end-game goal.

Know Thy Enemy

Heading into the teams across the Rift, EGym and Swip3rR continued their confidence, and frankly I have to agree with them – taking a peek at the wraps for the other three rosters, they all rate NSW as the big bad wolf ready to gobble them up in the grand final.

While there’s fear and concern running rife amidst the other three camps, NSW knows that the trophy is theirs for the taking, and all they have to do is reach out and sweep the other three teams out of the way.

Although the Victorian team may rank highest on the list of small threats NSW face, EGym believes the “massive egos” surrounding the team, state and even the city of Melbourne itself are going to be a tripping point for the squad.

“Melbourne’s egos are just blowing up, and I blame Spawn because he’s just been feeding that fire from the start and it’s going to explode in their faces,” Swip3rR added. “Like I said earlier, they have a lot of players from the bottom four teams across the board, and they just don’t match up to the amount of championship players we have.”

Conversely, Queensland proved even less of a threat for the opposite reason – “there’s way too many rookies in that team and they’re still getting used to playing, let alone playing together. There’s no threat there any time soon.”

Swip3rR agreed with EGym’s analysis, once again pointing to “the need for championship talent”.

“They’re mainly players that haven’t been in the finals and above all else I rate players by their ability to get into the grand final and win the league, so I haven’t really given them much thought.”

And finally, speaking of not giving squads much thought, when I reminded them New Zealand were competing as well EGym simply replied “who?”, while Swip3rR admitted NSW “hadn’t even been thinking about them at all”.

Closing Statement

So really, there you have it. Confidence oozes out of the NSW camp, running as rich as the fear that has been spreading from Victoria, Queensland and that spare squad added to make up numbers.

There’s been rumblings recently that esports is moving away from Sydney, and Melbourne has been baying for months that MEO was the greatest thing since caramel lattes from Little Bourke Street, but we know differently, and NSW has winning in its veins.

When it comes to victory, the League of Origin trophy is going to be returning to the home and heartland of the Oceanic Pro League, the first and best state – New South Wales.

We all know how OCE just love their predictions.

It’s nice that everyone can happily agree to disagree, listen and respond to other people’s arguments in a respectful way, and have a nice mature conversation about the Oceanic Pro League and its players that we all love. It’s so nice. It brings the community together. It forces us to interact on Twitter. Predictions are the absolute staple of OCE community interaction. And what better time to embrace all this, than during the upcoming League of Origin? So, in saying that…

Here’s 101 reasons (give or take) why Queensland will absolutely take a shit on everyone else and get the victory in this year’s League of Origin in my humble, yet knowledgeable, opinion.

First, we’ll start off with the acknowledgement that yes, we lost last year’s inaugural League of Origin. Yes, we didn’t make it through to Semis or the Final. Yes, we didn’t win a single game. But I’m going to let you all in on a little secret – it was all part of the plan from the beginning. Ever heard the story about the tortoise and the hare? Yep. That’s us. Slow and steady, boys.

As Queensland’s GM of last year and now this year, the ex-pro now-LPL caster, the faithful and passionate, smart and handsome, big and strong Zack “Rusty” Pye, says, “We’re like Leonidas in 300; it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. And I will fight them.

“We’re like Moana when her family is like ‘no don’t be a hero’ but she’s like ‘screw you guys,’ and those guys are the other teams and Moana won and that’s us.

“We’re like Elsa from Frozen moments before we let it go on all the haters.”

And frankly, that’s all you need to know about Queensland’s tactics. Actually, if anything we’ve shared too much… (shit, can we edit this part out..?)

So with that, let’s take a look at the formidable roster that Rusty and state coach Denian – the coach responsible for this year’s winning OCS team Chiefs Academy – have assembled to take the crown in this year’s League of Origin.

Tally

Rusty: “The star of the Queensland show who will take no prisoners on the road.”

A veteran of the Oceanic scene with experience in more than one lane and more than one Grand Final, and someone who won’t let you forget the hard life he’s had to live to get here out in “Real Queensland.” (Seriously. Try complain about the heat or your internet. Or just ask him about rain on tin roofs.)

Papryze

Rusty: “Papryze is the Korean soloq god looking to translate those skills to the stage with Queensland, or provide the big brain ideas to his team as required.”

A man who, like so many in OCE, went over to Korea to bootcamp and absolutely stole the show. He hasn’t had a chance to prove himself on a top tier team in OCE just yet, but we’ll hopefully see the “Korean soloq god” emerge with his Sunshine State partners by his side.

Babip

Rusty: “Big Bips is an unstoppable force when the balls rolling, don’t let him get on the trot or else.”

From sitting behind Carbon in his previous days, to now being one of the best junglers in the scene; young Babip made an impact in this year’s OPL that he’s ready to continue in the name of Queensland this weekend and next.

Chazz

Rusty: “The Chazzkebab, the old Chazzle Dazzle, Chazz it up. I just really like nicknames. And I like Chazz’s chances at the tournament.”

Coming straight from the OCS, Chazz is aware there may not be any expectations for him heading into the upcoming tournament. But despite this there is one thing he can promise you all, that “one of the mid laners will be dying whilst I’m playing.”

Farmer

Rusty: “Aptly named for when he farms enemy champions on the rift.”

From getting picked up last minute for the OCS this year, only to be replaced and picked up by another team, and going on to win relegations on an off-role. Farmer is here to absolutely show up and make a name for himself in the Oceanic scene.

Corporal

Rusty: “Or ‘Corps’ for short – for when he bodies his opponents and turns them into one.”

A young mind ready to help the oceanic region compete against the greatest regions… “Eventually.” he says. And for his first step, he’s here to prove that QLD is, without a doubt, the best state.

If you take a look from our perspective, this year’s competition is crazy tough. You’ve got winners of both of this year’s OPL splits scattered throughout the other teams, you’ve got teammates playing with teammates bringing an already-established synergy to the table, and frankly, besides New Zealand’s second ADC in Panda, you’ve got teams that are complete with experienced OPL players.

But you know what else they’ve got? As Denian has been happy to remind us all, “NZ have a bunch of retirees, relegateds, and off-roles.” They were the team that too didn’t make it to Semis last year, and the team that will once again repeat those steps. Because they don’t have the tortoise/hare tactic, remember? They exhausted all of their abilities in their ‘attempt’ to win it last year.

Though I suppose there is their star player Raes to worry about; a monster on the rift, the guy who always get pentas in pro games… and the one who can never make his mind up about if a champion is actually good or not. “Ezreal is only good on Sundays, Lucian on Wednesdays and Tristana on Mondays.” says Chiefs teammate Babip about him. So in between him having to share his role with an OCS player and having to pick which champion he’s actually going to play, I guess we’re not too worried.

In the wise words of Rusty, “Land of the Long White Cloud? More like land of the long white flag after we’re done with you.”

Onto our neighbouring state… In the past 10 years, they’ve only won the State of Origin twice. They are constantly falling behind Queensland in so many aspects; rent prices, roads, nightlife. What has New South Wales even got going for them? Not a League of Origin title, for one.

And especially not a team who’ll help them get one this year. They’re lacking in every single lane possible. Well… there is Big Swips in the top lane. The ol’ Rock in the Top. The one who his Chiefs teammate Babip describes as having a “brain like a cup of water – if he has to learn something new, he forgets something else because his cup overflows.” And he is learning something new: how to mesh with his ragged team. So what more can we expect from him this time around than all his previous knowledge of simply ‘knowing how to play the game’ disappearing?

And then there’s Destiny down in support, new to the NSW team this year and replacing their GM EGym’s old position – big shoes to fill, much to Babip’s delight: “He’s so competitive – he got so sad when he challenged me in ping pong and I beat him. He’ll try his hardest to god mode comms to impress the team and will fumble over his heavy handed competitiveness.”

We wish good luck to EGym, watching on from beyond the pro player grave, hoping his team will avenge his loss of last year. But Rusty can understand his plight, so here’s a friendly little tip for the team from his senior: “Your drafts are like your hair – they need some straightening out.”

Last but not least (but still definitely last), the winners of the first League of Origin, Victoria.

The storied Spookz and Swiffer duo are back again, and though the already-established synergy they’ll be bringing to their team is something to envy, it isn’t something to worry about for Denian and the team. “Victoria have old man hands in mid and jungle,” he said. And he’s right – those wrinkly old phalanges won’t be able to keep up with the nimble swiftness of the Queensland’s young rosters spry fingers.

Toplaner Tally echoed the sentiment, saying that “being able to play with such young talented players like Babip and Chaz who aren’t past their expiry dates is a great boon for the team.” They’re flexible and eager to learn; ready to send even the younger faces you see in the rest of the Victorian lineup home from the competition black and (like their toplaner Pabu’s infamous hair) blue.

GM Spawn is quick to claim Melbourne’s position as the best city in the world and drop a fat humble brag about his team winning last year, but things are different this year, and just like his attempt at the overhead press in the ‘Big and Strong like Rusty’ Challenge, he – and his team – will be unable to go on.

And since he wants to follow in the ways of Rusty so badly, here’s some words straight from the mouth of the man himself: “Fourth is a good look for you, Spawn.”

The stage is set, the bootcamps have begun, now all that’s left is for Queensland to head home in 2 weekends time with the 2nd annual League of Origin title under their belt.

Better put on a hat and some sunscreen New South Wales, Victoria and New Zealand, because the Sunshine State is coming for you.