In the past decade, State of Origin has been occasionally played outside the borders of NSW and Queensland, with organisers wanting to spread the biggest game of rugby league to all corners of the country.
It has become a common theme for at least one match of the three-match series to be taken to another state, and it's no different this year, with Melbourne hosting Game 2 of the 2024 series.
The Sporting News looks back at the history of the game in Melbourne.
MORE: Predicted NSW and QLD squads for Game Two
When was the last time State of Origin was played in Melbourne?
The last time a State of Origin game was played in Melbourne was back in 2018, when 87,122 packed into the MCG to watch Game 1.
In the Blues' first game under coach Brad Fittler, they scored three second-half tries to secure a 22-12 victory after the Maroons briefly led after half-time.
Fullback James Tedesco scored the game's opening try and was a constant thorn in the Queensland defence, earning Man of the Match honours.
The Blues would go on to win Game 2, grabbing their first series victory since 2014.
How many State of Origin games have been played in Melbourne?
Since the inception of State of Origin in 1982, Melbourne has hosted a game six times, with the first coming in 1990 at the old Olympic Park
It hosted further games in 1994, 1995 and 1997 at the MCG with strong crowds in two of the three games helping convince the powers of the time to introduce a club side to the city.
The city hosted three games at Marvel Stadium between 2006-2012, with the 2006 game being famous for Queensland's last-gasp try from a Brett Hodgson mistake to seal a first series win of eight in a row in Game 3.
In 2015 the game once again returned to the MCG, with a record crowd of 91,513 watching NSW win Game 2.
| Year | Game | Result | Stadium | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Two | NSW 12-6 QLD | Olympic Park | 25,800 |
| 1994 | Two | NSW 14-0 QLD | MCG | 87,161 |
| 1995 | Two | QLD 20-12 NSW | MCG | 52,994 |
| 1997 | Two | NSW 15-14 QLD | MCG | 25,105 |
| 2006 | Three | NSW 14-16 QLD | Telstra Dome | 54,833 |
| 2009 | One | QLD 28-18 NSW | Etihad Stadium | 50,967 |
| 2012 | One | NSW 10-18 QLD | Etihad Stadium | 56,021 |
| 2015 | Two | QLD 18-26 NSW | MCG | 91,513 |
| 2018 | One | NSW 22-12 QLD | MCG | 87,122 |
What cities have hosted State of Origin?
Apart from games in Sydney and Brisbane - the capitals of each state involved - games have been hosted in other Australian cities and even in other countries.
Perth and Adelaide have been hosts in recent years, whilst Townsville and Gold Coast in Queensland also hosted a game each during the COVID-19-impacted 2021 series.
The only time a game has been played outside of Australia was in 1987, when an extra 'fourth' game was taken to the United States in an attempt to grow the game locally.
In front of over 12,000 fans at the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, California, NSW won 30-18.