It’s time to see who is the best in the west in a do or die clash for the Queensland Maroons when they meet the New South Wales Blues in State of Origin II – exclusive, live and free on Channel 9HD and 9Now on Wednesday, June 18, at 7.00pm AEST.

Optus Stadium, Perth is the battleground where the Maroons will fight to keep their 2025 Ampol State of Origin hopes alive against a star studded NSW Blues outfit aiming to clinch back-to-back titles.

After overhauling their lineup, including naming Cameron Munster as their new captain and Tom Dearden in the crucial halfback role, Billy Slater’s Queensland Maroons are ready to pull out every trick in the book while staring down the barrel of a fourth consecutive loss.

While the NSW Blues have all their big guns ready once again for a shootout in the west, Nathan Cleary, Latrell Mitchell, Payne Haas, Stephen Crichton, ferocious forward Spencer Leniu and the returning hero Jarome Luai.Wide World of Sports’ exclusive Origin coverage will be hosted by James Bracey and feature the biggest names in modern rugby league history, with Origin legends Andrew Johns, Cameron Smith, Paul Gallen, Brad Fittler, Phil Gould, Darren Lockyer and Johnathan Thurston on hand to dissect every moment of the action.

Danika Mason will deliver live updates from the sideline alongside Fittler and Lockyer, while  Emma Lawrence and Allana Ferguson join the panel to analyse the key match-ups with Nine’s unrivaled line up of rugby league experts. In the commentary box Mathew Thompson is flanked by former NSW and Queensland captains, Andrew Johns and Cameron Smith.

In the pregame show, feature pieces deliver an insight into the triumph and tragedy of Payne Haas, the most capped Queensland player of all time Cameron Smith makes an emotional plea to the Maroons, and Andrew Johns explains what the Blues jersey means to NSW. Special guests joining the panel will be newly appointed Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga plus Paris 2024 Olympic Games gold medallist and Perth local Nina Kennedy.

Both coaches will open the doors to Wide World of Sports in both camps, with viewers getting unprecedented access to exclusive content when Thurston and Johns cross live from inside the Queensland and NSW team sheds before the game. Channel 9 will cross live during the broadcast to both Origin coaches, Billy Slater and Laurie Daley.

Get closer to the action with 9Now’s exclusive camera angles focussed on Jarome Luai, Cameron Munster and Spider Cam available direct to your phone while watching the main event on the big screen. Download the app or head to 9now.com.au

• Player Cam QLD – Cameron Munster
• Player Cam NSW – Jarome Luai
• Spidercam – An eagle-eye view of play to take you that little bit closer to the action

After the game you can catch up with the 9Now mini-match for all the best bits in a 20-minute breakdown.

AMPOL STATE OF ORIGIN II – NEW SOUTH WALES v QUEENSLAND
LIVE from Optus Stadium, Perth

Sydney          7.00pm LIVE on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Brisbane        7.00pm LIVE on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Melbourne     7.00pm LIVE on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Adelaide        6.30pm LIVE on 9GemHD, 7.00pm on Channel 9HD and 9Now
Perth             5.00pm LIVE on 9GemHD, 5.30pm on Channel 9HD and 9Now

THE BUILD-UP TO ORIGIN II ON NINE

100% FOOTY: SUNCORP STADIUM FROM PERTH’S OPTUS STADIUM – Monday, June 16, 8.45pm AEST. 100% Footy is on ground at Optus Stadium, Perth ahead of Origin II where Phil Gould, Cameron Smith, Paul Gallen, journalist Danny Weidler and host James Bracey are joined by Queensland captain Cameron Munster and NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley. Reporter Michael Chammas sits down with Perth Bears CEO Anthony De Ceglie to discuss the development of the NRL’s newest franchise and Allana Ferguson chats to polarising Blues playmaker Jarome Luai ahead of his return to the State of Origin arena. 
Available on Channel 9 in Sydney/Brisbane, 9Now Nationally and YouTube.

FREDDY AND THE EIGHTH FROM PERTH’S OPTUS STADIUM –  Tuesday, June 17, 8.45pm AEST. NSW Blues legends Brad Fittler and the Eighth rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns preview Origin II with host Danika Mason from Optus Stadium, Perth with special guests: Australian cricket legend Mitchell Johnson plus Tom and Eddy from the Hello Sport Podcast.
Available on Channel 9 in Sydney/Brisbane, 9Now Nationally and YouTube.

9NEWS – The Sports bulletins for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will be live from Optus Stadium on game night. No need to worry about any dramatic, last-minute team changes – we’ll have our eyes and ears all over the build-up from the second the teams arrive at the stadium on 9News

SIX TACKLES WITH GUS
Phil “Gus” Gould sits down with Mat Thompson every week to give a sermon like no other on the greatest game of all.

QUEENSLANDER – The Sunshine State’s favourite sons, Wally “The King” Lewis and Darren Lockyer, give their Maroon-coloured preview of how the Queenslanders are shaping up for Origin II with 9News reporter Adam Jackson. Available on 9Now and YouTube.

THE BILLY SLATER PODCAST – ORIGIN SPECIAL FROM MAROONS TEAM CAMP
Get the hot take from the greatest fullback ever to play the game, Queensland coach Billy Slater, hosted by Peter Psaltis. Listen here.

STORIES OF ORIGIN PODCAST: SEASON 4 – MAGIC MOMENTS

In the 45th year of Australian sport’s fiercest rivalry, the award winning podcast series Stories of Origin returns for 2025 with its most emotional series yet – Magic Moments.
Podcast Available on 9Podcasts, Spotify, Apple and Google

WWOS.NINE.COM.AU 
The #1 online destination for all your Origin news content:

• Live blog featuring video highlights and analysis from Channel 9’s Origin commentators
• A comprehensive Match Centre, featuring video highlights, scores and stats
• The Mole’s no-holds-barred Player Ratings
• Match reports and analysis capturing all the big moments of the game

STATE OF ORIGIN II
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, AT 7.00PM
EXCLUSIVE, LIVE AND FREE ON NINE

Monday, 16 June, 2025