Watch a State of Origin Game 1 live stream
State of Origin Game 1 is free to watch on 9Now in Australia. NRL fans in the UK can get their rugby fix on Sky Sports, while Watch NRL will live stream Queensland vs New South Wales in the USA. Kick-off is today, Wednesday 31st May 2023.
Aussie citizen away from home? Use a VPN to tune into 9Now free from abroad. Full details on how to watch the 2023 State of Origin from anywhere just below.
Watch State of Origin Game 1 2023: preview
State of Origin is the biggest game in rugby league and it's finally here – the annual triple-header that pits New South Wales' finest against the cream of Queensland. They've each won three of the past six series and, while NSW's squad looks stronger on paper, there's just something about this fixture that brings the best out of QLD's stars.
Last year, in his first series as a coach, Billy Slater inspired the Maroons to a shock victory, with Cameron Munster and Kalyn Ponga doing much of the damage. Slater's decision to drop the Knights man for State of Origin debutant Reece Walsh, therefore, has raised eyebrows, though even the most ardent Ponga loyalist wouldn't deny that the Broncos fullback is having an exceptional season.
The fitness of Munster was a concern with a big issue but the with the Storm five-eighth has passed fit to play. Felise Kaufusi is suspension, however, and that's undeniably a huge blow.
Blues coach Brad Fittler, meanwhile, had attempted to right the wrongs of last year, bringing Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell and Sea Eagles centre Tom Trbojevic back into the fold, and restoring the rampaging Bulldogs stud Josh Addo-Carr to the wing. Sadly, Mitchell had to withdraw from the match and will not feature. Here are the full line-ups for today's game:
NSW Team: James Tedesco (c), Brian To’o, Stephen Crichton, Tom Trbojevic, Josh Addo-Carr, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary, Tevita Pangai Junior, Apisai Koroisau, Payne Haas, Tyson Frizell, Hudson Young, Isaah Yeo (Junior Paulo, Cameron Murray, Liam Martin, Nicho Hynes, Matt Burton, Stefano Utoikamanu).
QLD Team: Reece Walsh, Selwyn Cobbo, Valentine Holmes, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Murray Taulagi, Cameron Munster, Daly Cherry-Evans (c), Thomas Flegler, Ben Hunt, Lindsay Collins, Tom Gilbert, David Fifita, Patrick Carrigan (Harry Grant, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Reuben Cotter, Jai Arrow, Tom Dearden, Christian Welch).
It's fast, it's ferocious, and it's deeply personal. Here's how to watch a free State of Origin Game 1 live stream from anywhere in the world.
How to watch State of Origin Game 1: free live stream in Australia
Viewers in Australia can watch the entire 2023 State of Origin series for free via Channel 9 and the network's streaming service 9Now. Game 1 kicks off at 8.05pm AEST on Wednesday evening, with coverage getting underway at 7pm.
Travelling abroad? Watch 9Now from anywhere with ExpressVPN.
If you've never used a VPN before, follow the step-by-step instructions below...
Watch a State of Origin Game 1 live stream from anywhere
If you're abroad right now, you might not be able to watch the State of Origin series as you would if you were at home, as the service will detect your location based on your IP address, and may automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) will help you get around this obstacle. It creates a private connection between your device and the internet and can set your device to appear as if it's anywhere in the world.
We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN. It offers a 30-day guarantee for all your money back if you're not happy with the service.
How to use a VPN for State of Origin 2023
Using a VPN to stream TV from abroad is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the State of Origin series, you could choose 'Australia' for 9Now.
3. Then head over to 9Now on your browser or device and watch the free State of Origin live stream!
You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and Surfshark, which offers 24-hour assistance. Both performed very well in our tests.
UK: Watch a State of Origin live stream
State of Origin 2023 will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena in the UK, with kick-off set for 11.05am BST on Wednesday morning.
Take a look at the best Sky TV deals if you're interested in watching this game and plenty more live sport in top quality.
Even without a full Sky subscription, though, fans can enjoy a State of Origin live stream with a Now day pass or a monthly pass. Here is our pick of the best Now deals.
BT Sport customers can also enjoy the game so long as they're subscribed to the BT Sport Big Bundle, which includes the Sky Sports channels as well as the BT ones. You can add it to your BT package for £40 per month.
Virgin Media customers are be able to watch State of Origin with a Sky Sports subscription through the Virgin Media’s Bigger + Sports bundle.
If you have a Virgin TiVo box and access to BT or Sky, you can watch on-the-go through Virgin's TV Anywhere app.
You can also tune into State of Origin via the Watch NRL streaming service, which shows every NRL game live and costs £16 per week, £29 per month, or £143 per year.
Remember: Aussies can watch State of Origin for free on 9Now (Use a VPN to access 9Now when travelling outside of Australia).
USA: Watch a State of Origin live stream
In the US, State of Origin Game 1 kicks off at 6.05am ET / 3.05am PT first thing on Wednesday morning.
If that's not too early for you, you can tune in on the NRL's dedicated streaming service, Watch NRL, which shows every game of the season live. A subscription costs $20 per week, $39 per month, or $182 per year.
Don't forget: Aussie nationals can live stream State of Origin free of charge on 9Now. Aussies abroad can access 9now with a VPN.
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