The 2026 State of Origin Opening Game: Refereeing the Same as Regular Season
The opening game of the 2026 State of Origin series will be refereed in the same way as regular season matches. This decision might not surprise fans, but it has sparked a range of reactions across the rugby league community.
There may not be concrete statistics to support the idea, but many believe there is a difference in how club games and Origin games are officiated each year. It’s often said that a little more is overlooked, the whistle stays in the pocket for longer, and the six-again bell isn’t rung as frequently.
Graham Annesley, however, dismissed these claims. He stated that the idea that referees receive different instructions for Origin is “completely false.” According to Annesley, referees simply respond to what they see on the field.
Origin features some of the best players from the competition, and they are typically known for their discipline. This level of skill and control means that referees don’t need to intervene as much, as there are fewer errors or penalties.
Referees only step in when teams aren’t following the rules or making frequent mistakes, such as knock-ons, forward passes, or other forms of ill-discipline.
This year has seen officiating and rule changes under increased scrutiny. The pre-season changes, which now result in six-agains being called for any ruck or offside infringement outside of a defensive 20-metre zone, have led to more frequent use of the six-again bell.
It’s no secret that six-agains are at their highest ever level in 2026. However, it’s interesting to track their progression throughout the season.
Round 2 saw the most six-agains called, with 96 across 8 games, averaging about 12 per contest. The following three rounds saw 76, 79, and 79 respectively, before the number dropped slightly, with weeks in the 60s and even one in the 50s.
The Magic Round saw the first round with more than 70 six-agains since Round 5, while the first of the bye rounds just ended with 46 in five games, averaging just over nine per contest. This is in line with the season average of 8.95 per game.
This is significantly higher than previous years, with 2025 sitting at around 6 per game, and the previous three seasons all finishing at around 5 per game.
The decrease in six-agains being called can be attributed to multiple factors. Teams have started to understand what they can and cannot get away with, and referees are policing things slightly less strictly than they did at the beginning of the year.
With point-scoring and margins still at record highs, the game is being played at a faster pace than ever before. However, there are times when you watch teams defend and wonder if coaches have given up trying to practice it.
Some of the tries scored over the weekend were not due to six-agains, but rather poor structure in defensive lines or poor technique in tackles.
Despite this, the NRL has made a clear push to speed up the game and minimize stoppages. Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’Landys has ensured this through every rule change implemented since the COVID pandemic break of 2020, when the six-again first appeared in the game.
This year has taken it to an extreme, and while fans have mixed opinions on the impact, the NRL cannot simply wind it back for State of Origin without getting it wrong.
As much as the game will be officiated the same as the NRL club rounds, don’t be surprised to see an exceptionally low six-again count. These are the best players in the sport who should be well on top of their discipline.
That’s not to say Ashley Klein won’t be looking to sanction infringements, but even at club level, there have been nine games with five or less six-agains over the last seven weeks. That’s more than one game per week where either the teams have worked it out, or the referee has been a touch more lenient.
Hands on the ball, speed of the game, lying on the ruck, and being inside the ten metres—these things aren’t always blatant. Most of them are a game of millimetres.
One of the biggest critiques from fans is the lack of accountability when it comes to six-agains. Things that would normally go unpunished now get the dreaded hand wave, the bell, and another six plays to defend on the back of it, without any chance for understanding what went wrong.
There have certainly been times this year when teams have had to defend 20+ tackles at a time—a near impossibility, and it certainly will be when the game’s best attacking players are on either side of the ball at Origin level.
But if the NRL came out and officiated Origin differently from what has been done so far this year, it would be an admission from those in charge that the rules haven’t worked. It would also mean they don’t want to spoil the game’s biggest stage.
The Magic Round saw the highest number of six-agains in over six weeks, which is perhaps the best indicator that the NRL is not willing to create that narrative.
Origin will not be game-changing. It will be a different version from what we are used to, but you can imagine it has also been a constant point in training over the last week. The teams will be prepared, and the game will not turn into a farce.
It’s just going to be a bit different to previous years.
