State of Origin has produced some of the greatest moments, spectacles and individual efforts in the history of rugby league.
From the inception in 1980 through to the heroics of Andrew Johns and Queensland's dominant eight-straight series wins, Origin has remained the pinnacle of the code for the past four decades.
NSW have had some fantastic debutants over the years, with the likes of Jarryd Hayne and Brian To'o able to hit the ground running from their first outing against the Maroons.
The Sporting News takes a look through the archives at the 10 best NSW Blues debuts in Origin history.
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10. Matt Burton (Game 2, 2022)
The most recent debutant on this list, Burton was exceptional for NSW in his first appearance in 2022 and his towering bombs will be replayed for years to come.
The talented utility helped keep the series alive in a 44-12 victory at Optus Stadium as he crossed for the opening try, ran for over 100 metres, made two linebreaks and produced a try assist for the Blues.
Burton would feature as part of the series-deciding loss to Queensland and was not selected for the series opener this year.
9. Mark Gasnier (Game 3, 2004)
After being dropped prior to the series opener for an off-field incident, Gasnier would be recalled for the decider and scored two tries in a 36-14 victory for NSW.
The fleet-footed Dragons star would go on to score four tries in 12 games for the Blues on either side of his French rugby union stint.
8. Anthony Minichiello (Game 1, 2003)
One of the best fullbacks of the modern era, Minichiello would make an enormous impact in his State of Origin debut for the Blues back in the 2003 series opener.
'The Count' crossed for a double, made 11 tackle breaks and finished with a massive 224 run metres to help NSW secure a 25-12 victory at Suncorp Stadium.
Minichiello would play fullback in all three games of the series as Phil Gould's side started a dominant era.
7. Damien Cook (Game 1, 2018)
After a winning a tight battle for the starting hooker role over Cameron McInnes, the dynamic Rabbitohs star produced a scintillating performance in his first taste of Origin.
Cook finished with 91 run metres, one linebreak assist, two tackle breaks with the ball in hand, but was equally-impressive in defence with a game-high 55 tackles.
It wasn't until the Origin opener this year that Cook lost his spot in Brad Fittler's side, temporarily halting a 15-game stint in the sky blue jersey.
6. Bradman Best (Game 3, 2023)
The 21-year-old's selection raised a lot of eyebrows and was highly criticised by the media with the Novocastrian labelled too inexperienced.
He proved all the doubters wrong scoring two tries, running for 129 metres, getting two line break assists and three tackle breaks, in what was an inspired performance in Game 3.
5. Les Davidson (Game 1, 1987)
The fiery Rabbitohs enforcer had already represented Australia by the time he was selected for NSW, and is one of just two players to earn 'Man of the Match' honours on their Origin debut.
Davidson was enormous in the middle of the field, registering 18 runs and 32 tackles, while his first-half try proved the difference in a 20-16 victory over the Maroons.
4. Jarryd Hayne (Game 1, 2007)
While his recent off-field issues have been well-publicised, you simply can't deny Hayne was a beast in the Origin arena for quite some time.
Whether it was at fullback, centre or wing, the Parramatta Eels speedster was a mainstay for many years and scored 11 tries in 23 appearances for NSW.
On debut, Hayne was arguably the best player on the field despite a 25-18 loss to Queensland, crossing for a try and running for over 130 metres.
3. Brian To'o (Game 1, 2021)
Perhaps not the most widely-recognised Origin debut in history, To'o was enormous in his first appearance for the Blues back in the successful 2021 series.
In a massive 50-6 victory in Townsville, the two-time premiership winner crossed for a double, made two linebreaks and ran for a game-high 233 metres in a stunning individual display.
NSW would go on to secure the series in Game II as To'o again proved to be a handful for the Maroons, and he has since become a mainstay on the wing for Brad Fittler's side.
2. Brett Hodgson (Game 1, 2002)
Small in stature but massive where it counts, Hodgson produced one of the most insane statistical displays in NSW history with his debut at fullback in 2002.
During his time with the Eels, Hodgson was called up in the No.1 jumper and finished with 390 run metres, 14 tackle breaks, six line breaks, one try and one try assist as the Blues finished 32-4 victors.
While he was out of the side by the 2003 opener in favour of Anthony Minichiello and only played five games after his heroic performance, Hodgson's first outing will go down as one of the greatest in Origin history.
1. Michael O'Connor (Game 1, 1985)
After moving across from rugby union, O'Connor struggled in his early stages transitioning to the 13-man game. But once he was called up to the NSW side, the centre never looked back.
O'Connor conquered the famous Lang Park in his first Origin appearance in horror conditions, scoring the only two tries of the match and kicking all five conversions in the 18-2 victory over Queensland, with the Blues going on to win the series 2-1.
To this day, O'Connor holds the record for most tries (11) and most points (129) for NSW at Origin level.
