Nine has released its full plans for the first state of orgin match to take place on Wednesday night.
Wide World of Sports presents rugby league’s ultimate contest with game one of the 2013 Holden State of Origin Series live from ANZ Stadium next Wednesday, June 5, at 7.30pm AEST on Channel Nine.
In the 33rd year of the three-match series, Mal Meninga’s XXXX Queensland Maroons are hungry for their eighth consecutive Origin triumph over the New South Wales VB Blues, under debut coach Laurie Daley – the man chosen to end Queensland’s long reign of supremacy.
Can inspirational Blues captain Paul Gallen lead New South Wales to their first series victory since 2005 with a team boosted by four exciting players new to Origin? Roosters playmaker James Maloney, Raiders winger Blake Ferguson and powerhouse Sharks prop Andrew Fifita have a date with destiny on Wednesday night.
These three will be joined by Josh Reynolds from the Bulldogs, who received a late call-up to the Blues squad to replace injured utility player Kurt Gidley.
Will Mal Meninga, the most successful coach in Origin history, drive his mighty Maroons to an astounding eighth series victory in a row? Rabbitoh forward Chris McQueen comes into a Queensland squad loaded with superstars like Greg Inglis, Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater.
The voice of rugby league, Ray Warren, will lead Nine’s Origin commentary team in calling his 70th Origin match. Joining him for the live broadcast will be Wally Lewis, Darren Lockyer, Gorden Tallis and Paul Vautin in the Maroon corner, with Peter Sterling, Andrew Johns, Brad Fittler and Phil Gould representing the Blues. Cameron Williams will steer the Wide World of Sports team through the clash at ANZ Stadium while Ken Sutcliffe will cross live for Nine News.
Wide World of Sports will have unprecedented access to both teams during the broadcast on Wednesday night when Paul Vautin and Phil Gould take the viewers’ inside the inner sanctum when we cross live into the dressing sheds just moments before kick-off to chat to the coaches.
Channel Nine has also launched a 2013 Holden State of Origin “second screen experience” via the network’s Jump-in app. This major event app has state-of-the-art features from Nine Technology which lets you be the director including multi-angle and slow-motion replays of match highlights just moments after the action is broadcast live on Nine, with a choice of up to 16 camera angles. The app will also include live scores, live match and player statistics, player profiles, Viewers Verdict Poll and live Twitter feed following the official hash tag #Origin.
The Jump-in viewing companion can be downloaded for free at iTunes and jump-in.com.au.
Erin Mortimer, daughter of rugby league great Steve Mortimer, the first captain to win a State of Origin series, will sing the national anthem.
With his debut single Set It Off going triple platinum and his follow up single If Looks Could Kill going double platinum, Australia’s Got Talent judge, Timomatic, will set ANZ Stadium alight with his energetic pre-match performance.
And if Origin fans can’t get enough of the action, they can re-live all the video highlights exclusively on the Wide World of Sports website, wideworldofsports.com.au. This is also the site for breaking news, latest scores and statistics, as well as input from Origin greats Wally “the King” Lewis and Andrew Johns. Don’t miss their regular columns as they go head-to-head in true Origin style.
Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane will host Origin II on Wednesday, June 26, and Origin III will be played at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday, July 17.
Here are the times according to Nine’s Press Release:
Holden State of Origin – Game 1
June 5, 2013
NSW VB Blues v XXXX Qld Maroons ANZ Stadium, Sydney
7.30pm LIVE on Nine
Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide
5.30pm LIVE on GEM
Perth, WA
7.30pm LIVE on NBN
Northern NSW/Southern QLD
7.30pm LIVE on WIN
QLD, Southern NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA
7.00pm LIVE on Nine
Darwin
7.30pm LIVE on Imparja
Alice Springs, NT
