Queensland coach Kevin Walters believes a condensed State of Origin period in November will unite the Maroons.

Walters says it also gives emerging prospects a better chance to mount a case for selection.

It was announced on Thursday that due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Origin would be staged on November 4, 11, and 18 – three consecutive Wednesdays – when it’s hoped crowds can attend.

It’s the first time Origin has been played so late in the year, with the showpiece series usually kicking off in late May or early June.

The 2020 Origin series venues are yet to be confirmed.

Walters told NRL.com he thinks to move the series down the calendar, free from the interruption of club football, is “excellent from Queensland’s point of view” as the Maroons look to snap New South Wales’s two-year winning run.

[Source: NRL.com]