State of Origin live: Queensland Maroons and NSW Blues play ...

Reece Walsh kicks off, and we're 80 minutes from knowing our Origin champions for 2024.

Payne Haas scatters defenders with his first charge, but the defence aims up to follow.

The Blues run out to a chorus of boos as is tradition.

The Maroons, meanwhile, are just running through some last-second stretches as the Blues line up for the anthem.

Eventually, they run out through a guard of honour of about 50 people with flaming "QLD" signs flanking them.

And this packed crowd is going off chops.

In its simplest form, this is a battle between power and finesse.

The Maroons are an undersized squad with an attack-first mentality, centred around the skill and connection between the core players, who've been together for years now. Their 'attack often and from anywhere' approach utilises the speed and game-breaking ability of the likes of Reece Walsh and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, as evidenced by six of their nine tries in the first two games coming from inside their own half.

The Blues, meanwhile, have dominated with power through the middle. They've made 191 more post-contact metres, despite being down a man for 72 minutes of Game I, missed just 23 tackles compared to 53 by Queensland, and have completed 68/79 sets, compared to 60 of 80 by the Maroons.

That, combined with having 13 players and a better kicking game in Game II, makes them almost impossible to defend.

Both teams have only leaned further into those identities with their selections for this game.

As the teams are announced, who's in the firing line and who do people love the most?

The Broncos like Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo and Pat Carrigan get the biggest cheers of course. And captain Daly Cherry-Evans of course is beloved, with Kalyn Ponga coming up trumps late off the bench.

Coach Billy Slater wins though. That cheer almost built a roof onto Lang Park, just to blow it off.

NSW five-eighth Jarome Luai and Liam Martin are fighting it out for biggest boo, but I think Luai has him pipped. Spencer Leniu building nicely too.

The crowd can't muster the same level of vitriol for the likes of Jake Trbojevic, Bradman Best and Zac Lomax, or Brisbane's own Payne Haas.

King Wally Lewis has left the ball on a plinth in the middle of the field.

Here's an artist's rendering...

Hi Mike,

Lindsay Collins being moved to the bench is an interesting move, and I think the hope is that he can be the impact through the middle that Queensland has been lacking.

Lights, fireworks, freakin' laser beams ... it's all kicking off at Lang Park.

And that means we're not far from kick-off!

New South Wales has only won two State of Origin deciders in Brisbane — in 1994 and 2005.

Since that Andrew Johns-inspired 2005 victory, here's what's happened when the series has been up for grabs in Brisbane in Game III …

NSW also lost deciders in Melbourne (2006) and on home turf (2008 and 2013) in that period, and got its only win from the past 10 deciders in 2019 at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

All told, there have been 22 deciders since Origin moved to a three-game series in 1982.

The Blues have won just five, Queensland has won 15 and also retained the shield in the two drawn deciders in 1999 and 2002.

The Maroons also won the first-ever Women's Origin decider last month.

G'day Angela.

I heard some people talking about the potential for extra time earlier, and I'm honestly not sure my nerves will handle it.

This has been an intriguing series, with rookie coach Michael Maguire's arrival and reshaping of the Blues bringing with it a lot of unknowns.

The question marks were only further raised by Joseph Sua'ali'i being sent off in the eighth minute of Game I. Even with 12 men, NSW made most of the running against an error-riddled Queensland team in the opener in Sydney, but a late surge from the Maroons propelled them to a 38-10 win and a 1-0 lead in the series.

Game II at the MCG was a complete flip of the script, with a rampaging Blues side showing us the power they possess with a full complement, crucially including the returning Mitchell Moses and Latrell Mitchell. Both starred in a 38-18 victory, sparked by a shock-and-awe 34-0 opening half.

And that's the state of affairs as hostilities arrive in Brisbane for this decider.

Queensland coach Billy Slater has recalled 38 games' worth of Origin experience for this decider.

Hamstring injuries to wingers Xavier Coates and Murray Taulagi see Selwyn Cobbo recalled after being left out for Origin II and 23-game veteran Dane Gagai named at centre after a strong start to the season with the Knights. Valentine Holmes shifts to the wing.

Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga also returns, named on the bench just hours after his first game back from a foot injury that kept him sidelined since round seven. Jaydn Su'A is dropped.

Gagai and Ponga both last played for Queensland in the thrilling 2022 decider, with Ponga winning player of the match.

The Blues made one forced and one unforced change for Game III.

Latrell Mitchell was ruled out with a foot injury, meaning Gagai and Ponga's Newcastle teammate, Bradman Best, returns in the centres after his two-try debut in Game III last year.

Meanwhile, back rower Haumole Olakau'atu has been dropped in favour of Warriors forward Mitch Barnett, who also has over 100 caps for the Knights after seven seasons there. Barnett was picked because he can play in the middle or on an edge.

Billy Slater has completely reshuffled his starting pack.

Hooker Harry Grant is starting his first match of the series, with Ben Hunt shifting to the bench.

Moeaki Fotuaika and Felise Kaufusi are elevated from the bench to start at prop. Lindsay Collins moves to the interchange, and Reuben Cotter shifts to the back row. That means Jeremiah Nanai will also move from the starting 13 to the bench.

NSW is 1-18.

The Grant-Hunt switch is nothing new, but the last-minute total rejig of the starting pack is very interesting and the first time Slater has done something like this.

Kaufusi has been playing a lot in the front row for the Dolphins this year and his move into the starting line-up is definitely in an attempt to shore up the middle of the field with his defence and not allow NSW to get a roll on through the middle.

The Maroons win the toss and will bat, er, kick-off.

New South Wales will be running right to left on your screens in the first half.

There he is, holding up the shield behind Premier Steven Miles, who is smiling in a very normal way and definitely knows what to do with his hands.

When asked about how they're going to bounce back from the Game II thrashing in Melbourne, Queensland coach Billy Slater and captain Daly-Cherry Evans both shouted out their experience in the 2022 series.

That year, Queensland won Game I in Sydney before travelling to a neutral ground (Perth in that instance) to get towelled up, setting up a decider at Lang Park that the Maroons ultimately won 22-12.

The Maroons are of course glad to be playing this decider on home turf, but know they can't rely on Lang Park mysticism to get them home.

"It's a great venue, it brings a great atmosphere," Slater said.

"It's a decider. They're great games to be a part of. They're wonderful games to be a part of. That doesn't mean anything unless we address what happened in the first half."

Tadds, me old China plate. I tend to agree.

NSW has been the better side for most of this series and I just think they're too powerful for this Maroons outfit.

Michael Maguire has his troops fired up and humming. I think they're going to win comfortably tonight, as blasphemous as that may be to say in a Lang Park decider.

If you need to do some last-minute homework before tonight's game, we've got you covered.

Hello and welcome to State of Origin III from Lang Park in Brisbane.

I'm Jon Healy and I'll be your guide as the Maroons try to win their third straight series and the Blues look to do the almost-impossible: win a decider in Queensland.

It's cold and the field is dry. We should be in for a banger of a match.

Stick around!