As the rugby league editor here at RealSport, I'm buzzing ahead of the first State of Origin game for 2018 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground tomorrow.
I've put the call out to my group of writers for their thoughts on how the game and the series might pan out.
Without further ado, here are their thoughts.
Jack McDonald
Game one winner:Â Queensland
Series winner:Â Queensland
Game one Man of the Match:Â Greg Inglis
Man of the Series:Â Cameron Munster
Breakout star:Â Jack De Belin
Bold prediction:Â NSW's speedy backline goes bust
Thursday's headline:Â Under-strength Queensland defies the odds
Daniel Friend
Game one winner: New South Wales
Series winner:Â New South Wales
Game one Man of the Match:Â James Maloney
Man of the Series:Â James Maloney
Breakout star:Â Nathan Cleary
Bold prediction:Â Josh Addo-Carr scores five tries in the series
Thursday's headline:Â Jokers are trumps: Maloney the star in game one
Myles Stedman
Game one winner:Â New South Wales (just!)
Series winner:Â New South Wales (just!)
Game one Man of the Match:Â James Tedesco
Man of the Series:Â Nathan Cleary
Breakout star:Â Nathan Cleary
Bold prediction:Â Tyrone Peachey joins the annals of history as one of the worst State of Origin selections ever
Thursday's headline:Â Error-riddled NSW overcome valiant Queenslanders
Andy Tweed
Game one winner:Â New South Wales
Series winner:Â New South Wales
Game one Man of the Match:Â James Maloney
Man of the Series:Â David Klemmer
Breakout star:Â Kalyn Ponga
Bold prediction:Â Queensland will use more players in this series than in any series for the last ten years
Thursday's headline:Â Break-away Blues: NSW enjoy point-scoring feast
Daniel Szabo
Game one winner:Â New South Wales
Series winner:Â New South Wales
Game one Man of the Match:Â Latrell Mitchell
Man of the Series:Â Nathan Cleary
Breakout star:Â Nathan Cleary
Bold prediction:Â The penalty count will surpass 20
Thursday's headline:Â Blues win big as referees take centre stage with record high State of Origin penalty count
Kristopher Wareing
Game one winner:Â New South Wales
Series winner:Â New South Wales
Game one Man of the Match:Â David Klemmer
Man of the Series:Â James Maloney
Breakout star:Â Nathan Cleary
Bold prediction:Â Latrell Mitchell bombs at centre, exposed defensively
Thursday's headline:Â Queensland show grit after horror week but lose narrowly to Freddie's Blues
Tom Stratton
Game one winner:Â New South Wales
Series winner:Â New South Wales
Game one Man of the Match:Â Josh Addo-Carr
Man of the Series:Â James Maloney
Breakout star:Â Latrell Mitchell
Bold prediction:Â Josh Addo-Carr to score a game one hat-trick
Thursday's headline:Â High-speed Blues blow away under-strength Queensland
Jake Bull
Game one winner: New South Wales
Series winner:Â New South Wales
Game one Man of the Match:Â Nathan Cleary
Man of the Series:Â Damien Cook
Breakout star:Â Latrell Mitchell
Bold prediction:Â Josh Addo-Carr gets a double
Thursday's headline:Â What does the Fox say? Origin victory
Bo Nicholson
Game one winner: Queensland
Series winner:Â New South Wales
Game one Man of the Match: Valentine Holmes
Man of the Series:Â Tyson Frizell
Breakout star:Â Damien Cook
Bold prediction:Â James Roberts to have a horror debut with more than five missed tackles
Thursday's headline:Â Feels just like Holmes
Daniel Lang
Game one winner:Â New South Wales
Series winner:Â New South Wales
Game one Man of the Match:Â Reagan Campbell-Gillard
Man of the Series:Â James Maloney
Breakout star:Â Nathan Cleary
Bold prediction:Â New South Wales to clean-sweep the series 3-0 and win at least two games by double figures
Thursday's headline:Â Penrith contingent deliver Origin victory
What are your bold predictions for the 2018 State of Origin series? Let us know in the comments below.
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