Ahead of the NRL 2013 season, the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) have implemented a number of new rules will lead to changes in how the game is played, including scrapping the benefit of the doubt system and changes to State of Origin eligibility.

Last Saturday produced yet another fantastic London day with plenty of sunshine and blue sky across the capital. Perfect conditions for the 2012 London Tag Rugby Origin series!

With the Autumn Tag Rugby season in full swing across the capital at 13 different locations, attention now turns to the next representative event on the calendar – London Origin – which takes place this Saturday, 15 September, at Wandsworth Common.

London’s Try Tag Rugby All-Stars successfully defended their 2011 title when they claimed the 2012 Malta International Tag Rugby Festival with a 6-1 win over Malta’s Birkirkara Falcons in the final on the weekend.

With the Autumn Tag Rugby season starting this week across London at 13 different locations, it also means its London Origin time.

It’s the toughest gig in Australian sport but Laurie Daley is confident he is the man who can stop Queensland from winning an eighth consecutive State of Origin series next year.

Queensland have claimed their seventh straight State of Origin series success after a dramatic 21-20 victory over NSW at a packed Suncorp Stadium.

The talking is over. The gloves are finally off. The destination of the 2012 State of Origin shield will be decided on Wednesday in Brisbane.

They’ve not won a State of Origin series since 2005 and only tasted success in a decider in Brisbane twice but coach Ricky Stuart says NSW are no longer intimidated by Queensland.

Queensland captain Cameron Smith says NSW five-eighth Todd Carney will be one of a number of Blues players whose games could fall apart if they are pressured during the State of Origin decider.

Queensland coach Mal Meninga says he won’t dabble in mind games despite naming a 20-man roster for next week’s State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium.

Having won the battle, NSW coach Ricky Stuart says the Blues now have to prove they can win the war after Todd Carney stepped up to the plate to set up a State of Origin decider with a 16-12 win on Wednesday night.

STATE OF ORIGIN | Defeat for Ricky Stuart’s men would be a savage blow for the Blues, who have left no stone unturned to try to end the dominance of Mal Meninga’s mighty Maroons side.

Mitchell Pearce has backed Todd Carney to put his uninspiring NSW debut behind him and come out firing in next Wednesday’s second State of Origin clash in Sydney.

IT’S the State of Origin video that has men (and women) from south of the Tweed smiling as if they’d just won six Origin series straight and those up in Queensland probably looking a wee bit sheepish. The ‘That’s In Queensland’ video might even have Origin selectors taking a good hard look at themselves too.

As the dust settles over Wednesday’s controversial but thrilling first match of the 2012 State of Origin series (where the Maroons got that all important first up win), the New South Wales team and coach Ricky Stuart will be wondering what they have to do to get some luck.

The Maroons wrapped up the opening State of Origin match which featured an all-in brawl, a sin binning and contentious refereeing with a late try that took three minutes for the video official Sean Hampstead to award.

Perfection. It’s an extraordinary target to aim for but, according to NSW coach Ricky Stuart, nothing else will be good enough to beat Queensland in Wednesday night’s State of Origin rugby league opener.

Queensland coach Mal Meninga insists he has no plans to bring in a shadow player for skipper Cameron Smith who is quarantined while suffering flu-like symptoms two days out from the rugby league State of Origin series opener.