| ||||||
| Team information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Blues Cockroaches | |||||
| Governing body | New South Wales Rugby League | |||||
| Head coach | Laurie Daley | |||||
| Captain | Isaah Yeo | |||||
| Mostcaps | Brad Fittler (31) | |||||
| Top try-scorer | Josh Addo-Carr (11) Jarryd Hayne (11) Michael O’Connor (11)Brian To'o (11) | |||||
| Top point-scorer | Michael O’Connor (129) | |||||
| Home stadium | Accor Stadium (84,000) | |||||
| Uniforms | ||||||
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| Team results | ||||||
| First game | ||||||
 New South Wales 8–12New Zealand  (Royal Agricultural Society Ground, Sydney; 1907) | ||||||
| First State of Origin game | ||||||
 Queensland 20–10 New South Wales(Lang Park,Brisbane; 8 July 1980) | ||||||
| Biggest win | ||||||
| New South Wales 69–5Queensland (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney; 4 June 1957) | ||||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||||
| Queensland 52–6 New South Wales (Suncorp Stadium;8 July 2015) | ||||||
TheNew South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state ofNew South Wales inrugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Also known as theBlues due to theirsky blue jerseys, the team competes in the annualState of Origin series againstQueensland. The team is currently coached byLaurie Daley and captained byIsaah Yeo, and is administered by theNew South Wales Rugby League.
Prior to 1980 when the "state of origin" selection criteria was introduced, the New South Wales team, in addition to playing annually against Queensland, played matches against foreign touring sides and occasionally toured overseas themselves. Their home stadium isAccor Stadium inSydney, the largest stadium in the state, having been constructed for the2000 Summer Olympics.
The New South Wales rugby league team pre-dates theAustralian national team, playing their inaugural match against arebel New Zealand rugby team on the1907–08 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain under existingrugby union rules. That inaugural "All Blues" side, the first football team assembled by the newly formedNSWRFL was:
Backs:Charles Hedley ·Johnno Stuntz ·Ed Fry ·Dally Messenger ·Frank Cheadle ·Albert Rosenfeld ·Lou D'Alpuget
Forwards:Harry Hamill ·Arthur Hennessy ·Bob Mable ·Peter Moir ·Sid Pearce ·Billy Cann ·Robert Graves ·Herb Brackenreg
Two further matches were played against New Zealand before their tour took them to the Northern Hemisphere, withJim Devereaux also featuring for the Blues. The visitingAll Golds won all three games. However, on the return leg of their tour, almost a year later, with theNew South Wales Rugby Football League premiership established, the Blues won the first two matches they ever played under13-a-side rules against New Zealand. Later in 1908 theQueensland team, whose first taste of rugby league football was also against the visiting Kiwis, traveled to Sydney for thefirst series of games between the two states. New South Wales won all three matches, setting a precedent for interstate dominance that would continue throughout most of the 20th century.[citation needed]
In 1910 New South Wales defeated thetouring England team in two of their three games. After that they became the first Blues side to travel to Queensland for the annual interstate series.[citation needed]
In 1912 the New South Wales team first touredNew Zealand. They also visited New Zealand in 1913. During the1913 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia New South Wales played four matches against the Kiwis, winning three of them.[citation needed]
The New South Wales team lost its first game against Queensland in 1922. In 2019 the Blues also toured New Zealand.[citation needed]
During the1951 French rugby league tour of Australia and New Zealand New South Wales played one match against the successfulFrance national rugby league team, a 14-all draw.[citation needed]
The New South Wales team hosted 2 matches of the1953 American All Stars tour of Australia and New Zealand at theSydney Cricket Ground, winning 62–41 and 27–18.[citation needed]
In a 1954 tour match betweenGreat Britain and New South Wales the referee left the field in disgust at the players' persistent fighting after 56 minutes so the match was abandoned.[1]
New South Wales' dominance over Queensland came to an end with the introduction of 'state of origin' selection rules in the early 1980s.[citation needed]
During theSuper League war, in 1997 New South Wales was represented by two teams: one made up of players from clubs that remained loyal to theAustralian Rugby League, which competed in the1997 State of Origin series; another made up of players from clubs that joined the rebelSuper League which competed in the one-offSuper League Tri-series.[citation needed]
Ricky Stuart, who had previously coached New South Wales in 2005, was announced as the first full-time Blues coach in November 2010. Following the 2012 series, the Blues' seventh consecutive loss, Stuart resigned the role. Stuart took a role as theParramatta Eels head coach in 2013, citing family reasons for his move. Although the Blues continued their losing streak during Stuart's tenure, he is credited with restoring passion and pride to the NSW jersey and closing the gap between the two states. He was replaced by former Canberra, NSW and Australia teammateLaurie Daley. Daley's appointment as NSW State of Origin coach was announced in August 2012 and effective from season 2013. Daley got job over candidates includingTrent Barrett,Brad Fittler andDaniel Anderson. Daley coached the Blues to a series win in 2014, their first since 2005 and over his coaching rival and long time Canberra & Australian teammateMal Meninga. Daley ended Meninga's and Queensland's run of eight series wins with victories in Game I and Game II of the2014 series. In 2015, New South Wales suffered its biggest origin loss losing 52–6 against Queensland in the decider. In 2016, New South Wales lost the series 2–1 but managed to win the third and finaldead rubber game. In 2017, New South Wales were widely tipped to win the series as Queensland had a number of key players injured. In Game 1, New South Wales beat Queensland in convincing fashion 28–4 and in Game 2 were leading the maroons 16–6 at halftime before Queensland won the game in the final two minutes to win 18–16. In Game 3, New South Wales lost the series losing 22–6 in Brisbane. In August 2017, Daley was terminated as coach of New South Wales.[2]
In 2018, Brad Fittler was appointed as the new coach and left out established players such asAaron Woods,Josh Jackson,Blake Ferguson andJosh Dugan. The Blues went on to win the series 2–1.[3] In 2019, the Blues were widely tipped to win the series owing to the retirement from representative football of Queensland Origin greatsCooper Cronk,Billy Slater andCameron Smith. However, Queensland had an upset win 18–14 over the Blues in Game 1 forcing Fittler to make seven changes to the Blues starting line-up. Though he was roundly criticised for the move,[4] the Blues went on to win the series 2–1, easily defeating Queensland 38–6 in Game 2 inOptus Stadium inPerthWestern Australia, the greatest winning margin of a Blues squad since Game 3, 2000.[5] Finally, in a thrilling Game 3 atANZ Stadium in Sydney,winger Blake Ferguson andfullbackJames Tedesco combined to score the winning try with just 32 seconds to go in the game to secure the series, off the back of play started from recalled halfbackMitchell Pearce.[6] In the2020 State of Origin series, New South Wales narrowly lost game 1 against Queensland 18–14 before bouncing back in game 2 winning 34–10. In game 3, New South Wales travelled to Brisbane for the decider, the blues would lose the match at Suncorp Stadium 20–14.[7] The2021 State of Origin series was one which had been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic with all three matches being played in Queensland. New South Wales would win convincingly in game 1 defeating Queensland 50–6 in Townsville before defeating Queensland 26–0 in Brisbane to claim the series. Queensland managed to avoid a series clean sweep by winning game 3 20–18.[8] New South Wales started the2022 State of Origin series with a narrow 16–10 loss in Sydney before a convincing 44–12 victory over Queensland in Perth during game 2. In game 3, the blues once again needed to play a decider in Brisbane. New South Wales lead the game 12–10 at half-time but conceded two late tries in the second half and lost 22–12.[9]
Ahead of the2024 State of Origin series, Fittler stood down as head coach and was replaced byMichael Maguire. In game one of the 2024 series, New South Wales lost 38–10 in Sydney. The game was marred by the sending off ofJoseph Sua'ali'i in the seventh minute. In game two, New South Wales would win 38–18 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to set up a decider in Brisbane. In game three, New South Wales would win 14–4 to claim the series and their first win in a decider at Brisbane since 2005.[10]
On 1 October 2024, Michael Maguire stepped down as coach of the team with a search underway for a new coach.[11]
The primary colour of New South Wales Blues issky blue, which represents thestate colour ofNew South Wales. The secondary colour isnavy blue, with additional contrasting colour ofwhite.[citation needed]
– Denotes no applicable sponsor for the listed period.
~ Major sponsor logo was featured on the jersey sleeve rather than the front from 1991–2003.
^ Indicates the sponsor was the naming-rights partner of the State of Origin series at the time, but the logo was displayed independently of the State of Origin logo.
The official New South Wales rugby league teamsupporter group is known as "Blatchy's Blues".[13][14][15][16][17]
State of Origin (17):1985,1986,1990,1992,1993,1994,1996,1997,2000,2003,2004,2005,2014,2018,2019,2021,2024
Interstate Series (54): 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1927, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 197, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Pts | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prop | Mitchell Barnett | (1994-04-15)15 April 1994 (age 31) | 3 | 0 |  New Zealand Warriors |
| Halfback | Nathan Cleary | (1997-11-14)14 November 1997 (age 28) | 14 | 94 |  Penrith Panthers |
| Second-row | Angus Crichton | (1996-02-05)5 February 1996 (age 29) | 14 | 4 |  Sydney Roosters |
| Centre | Stephen Crichton | (2000-09-22)22 September 2000 (age 25) | 9 | 14 |  Canterbury Bulldogs |
| Fullback | Dylan Edwards | (1996-01-10)10 January 1996 (age 29) | 2 | 1 | Penrith Panthers |
| Centre | Campbell Graham | (1999-06-02)2 June 1999 (age 26) | 0 | 0 |  South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| Prop | Payne Haas | (1999-02-12)12 February 1999 (age 26) | 14 | 0 |  Brisbane Broncos |
| Prop | Max King | (1997-05-04)4 May 1997 (age 28) | 0 | 0 | Canterbury Bulldogs |
| Prop | Spencer Leniu | (2000-09-08)8 September 2000 (age 25) | 3 | 0 | Sydney Roosters |
| Wing | Zac Lomax | (1999-09-24)24 September 1999 (age 26) | 3 | 8 |  Parramatta Eels |
| Second-row | Liam Martin | (1997-03-05)5 March 1997 (age 28) | 12 | 8 | Penrith Panthers |
| Centre | Latrell Mitchell | (1997-06-16)16 June 1997 (age 28) | 8 | 36 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| Five-eighth | Mitchell Moses | (1994-09-16)16 September 1994 (age 31) | 5 | 4 | Parramatta Eels |
| Second-row | Haumole Olakau'atu | (1998-10-01)1 October 1998 (age 27) | 2 | 0 |  Manly Sea Eagles |
| Hooker | Reece Robson | (1998-06-18)18 June 1998 (age 27) | 5 | 0 |  North Queensland Cowboys |
| Wing | Brian To'o | (1998-08-18)18 August 1998 (age 27) | 12 | 24 | Penrith Panthers |
| Prop | Stefano Utoikamanu | (2000-05-15)15 May 2000 (age 25) | 1 | 0 |  Melbourne Storm |
| Hooker | Connor Watson | (1996-05-31)31 May 1996 (age 29) | 2 | 0 | Sydney Roosters |
| Lock | Isaah Yeo | (1994-11-06)6 November 1994 (age 31) | 14 | 0 | Penrith Panthers |
| Second-row | Hudson Young | (1998-06-11)11 June 1998 (age 27) | 3 | 0 |  Canberra Raiders |
Before Game I of the2008 State of Origin series, to celebrate the game's centenary that year, New South Wales named theirteam of the century:[18]
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Ahead of the2017 State of Origin series, NSW named the inaugural inductees to the NSWRL Hall of Fame, joining automatic inducteesDally Messenger and the seven Immortals who represented NSW.[19]
As part of the 25-year celebrations in 2005, New South Wales named 25 legends for each year before that.[20]
| Player | Occasions | Game(s) as Captain |
|---|---|---|
| Tommy Raudonikis | 1 | 1980 |
| Steve Rogers | 1 | 1981 |
| Max Krilich | 5 | 1982, Games 1 & 3 1983 |
| Ray Price | 3 | Game 2 1983, Games 1 & 2 1984 |
| Steve Mortimer | 3 | Game 3 1984, Games 1 & 2 1985 |
| Wayne Pearce | 10 | Game 3 1985, 1986–1988 |
| Peter Sterling | 1 | 1987 Exhibition Match |
| Gavin Miller | 3 | 1989 |
| Ben Elias | 6 | 1990, 1991 |
| Laurie Daley | 13 | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1998, Game 3 1999 |
| Brad Fittler | 14 | 1995–1996, Games 1 & 2 1999, 2000, 2001 |
| Geoff Toovey | 3 | 1997 |
| Andrew Johns | 6 | 2002, 2003 |
| Danny Buderus | 15 | 2004–2008 |
| Kurt Gidley | 5 | 2009, Games 1 & 2 2010 |
| Trent Barrett | 1 | Game 3 2010 |
| Paul Gallen | 16 | 2011, 2012, Games 1 & 2 2013, 2014, Games 2 & 3 2015, 2016 |
| Robbie Farah | 2 | Game 3 2013, Game 1 2015 |
| Boyd Cordner | 10 | 2017–2019, Game 1 2020 |
| James Tedesco | 10 | Games 2 & 3 2020, 2021–2023 |
| Jake Trbojevic | 3 | 2024 |
| Isaah Yeo | 3 | 2025 |
Table last updated: 1 November 2025.
New South Wales have had a total of thirteen different coaches at State of Origin level, eight of which have previously played for the Blues. The list also includes the known coaches from the pre-Origin era and only counts games against Queensland. Games against touring teams fromNew Zealand,Great Britain andFrance are not included.Ted Glossop,Frank Stanton andTerry Fearnley are the only coaches to have coached NSW in both State of Residence and State of Origin formats.
NSWRLHall of Fame inductee Brad Fittler is the incumbent coach for the NSW Blues.[21] In his first match in charge, he chose 11 players to debut.[22]
| Coach | Era | Games | Wins | Success % | Series won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dick Dunn | 1961 | 4 | 2 | 50% | – |
| Harry Bath | 1962, 1968–1972 | 11 | 10 | 91% | – |
| Eddie Burns | 1963–1964 | 2 | 2 | 100% | – |
| Ian Walsh | 1965 | 1 | 1 | 100% | – |
| Paul Quinn | 1965 | 1 | 1 | 100% | – |
| Noel Kelly | 1966 | 3 | 3 | 100% | – |
| Reg Gasnier | 1967 | 2 | 1 | 50% | – |
| Ron Saddler | 1967 | 1 | 1 | 100% | – |
| Graeme Langlands | 1973–1976 | 12 | 9 | 75% | – |
| Ted Glossop | 1980–1981, 1983 | 9 | 5 | 55% | 0 |
| Frank Stanton | 1978–1979, 1982, 1984 | 11 | 7 | 64% | 0 |
| Terry Fearnley | 1977, 1985 | 5 | 4 | 80% | 1 |
| Ron Willey | 1986–1987 | 7 | 5 | 71% | 1 |
| John Peard | 1988 | 3 | 0 | 0% | 0 |
| Jack Gibson | 1989–1990 | 6 | 2 | 33% | 1 |
| Tim Sheens | 1991 | 3 | 1 | 33% | 0 |
| Phil Gould | 1992–1996; 2002–2004 | 24 | 14 | 58% | 6 |
| Tommy Raudonikis | 1997–1998 | 6 | 3 | 50% | 1 |
| Wayne Pearce | 1999–2001 | 9 | 5 | 56% | 1 |
| Ricky Stuart | 2005; 2011–2012 | 9 | 4 | 44% | 1 |
| Graham Murray | 2006–2007 | 6 | 2 | 33% | 0 |
| Craig Bellamy | 2008–2010 | 9 | 2 | 22% | 0 |
| Laurie Daley | 2013–2017, 2025- | 15 | 6 | 40% | 1 |
| Brad Fittler | 2018–2023 | 18 | 9 | 50% | 3 |
| Michael Maguire | 2024 | 3 | 2 | 67% | 1 |
Table last updated: 14 June 2024.
First awarded in 2005, the Brad Fittler medal is the award for the New South Wales Player of the Series.
| Year | Player | Position | Club team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Matt King | Wing | Melbourne Storm |
| 2006 | Steve Menzies | Second-row | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles |
| 2007 | Jarryd Hayne | Wing | Parramatta Eels |
| 2008 | Danny Buderus | Hooker |  Newcastle Knights |
| 2009 | Jarryd Hayne (2) | Wing | Parramatta Eels |
| 2010 | Kurt Gidley | Fullback | Newcastle Knights |
| 2011 | Paul Gallen | Prop |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks |
| 2012 | Robbie Farah | Hooker |  Wests Tigers |
| 2013 | Greg Bird | Lock |  Gold Coast Titans |
| 2014 | Jarryd Hayne (3) | Fullback | Parramatta Eels |
| Ryan Hoffman | Second-row | Melbourne Storm | |
| 2015 | Josh Dugan | Fullback |  St. George Illawarra Dragons |
| 2016 | Josh Jackson | Second-row | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
| 2017 | David Klemmer | Prop | Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs |
| 2018 | James Tedesco | Fullback | Sydney Roosters |
| 2019 | James Tedesco (2) | Fullback | Sydney Roosters |
| 2020 | Nathan Cleary | Halfback | Penrith Panthers |
| 2021 | Tom Trbojevic | Centre | Manly Warringah Sea Eagles |
| 2022 | James Tedesco (3) | Fullback | Sydney Roosters |
| 2023 | Brian To’o | Wing | Penrith Panthers |
| 2024 | Angus Crichton | Second-row | Sydney Roosters |
| 2025 | Brian To’o (2) | Wing | Penrith Panthers |
| Federations |
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| Representative competitions |
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| Representative teams | |
| NRL clubs | |
| NSWRL Junior Representatives | |
| Metropolitan competitions | |
| Country competitions |
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| Discontinued competitions | |
| Related articles | |
