Can Blues of 2019 beat Maroons

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HOW does Josh Dugan v Ben Barba grab you, NSW State of Origin fans?

And do we finally have a fair fight in the halves with Adam Reynolds and Luke Brooks v Daly Cherry-Evans and Anthony Milford?

Can Andrew Fifita bully the likes of Josh McGuire in the front-row?

And will Boyd Cordner ultimately prove a better backrower than Josh Papalii?

Cameron Smith - NSW needs him to bugger off. Source: News Limited

Slowly but surely an incredible era of Queensland talent is strolling over the hill.

Within the next five years, a collection of Maroon champions will have left the scene. It will be the Blues' chance to get back on even footing.

Taking into account which players may be phased out of both sides over the next five years, we've had an educated guess as to how the next-¬generation Maroons and Blues may look.

All of a sudden, Queensland doesn't have an obvious edge in class. Here is a look at the key areas.

QUEENSLAND 2019

1. Ben Barba (24) 2. Justin O'Neill (22) 3. Dane Gagai (23) 4. Greg Inglis (27) 5. Edrick Lee (21) 6. Anthony Milford (19) 7. Daly Cherry-Evans (24) 8. Josh McGuire (23) 9. Jake Friend (23) 10. Matt Scott (28) 11. Chris McQueen (26) 12. Josh Papalii (21) 13. Matt Gillett (25). Interchange: 14. Michael Morgan (22) 15. Korbin Sims (22) 16. Aidan Guerra (25) 17. Dylan Napa (21)

Teenage ace Anthony Milford at this month's Queensland Emerging Origin squad session. Source: News Limited

NSW 2019

1. Josh Dugan (23) 2. Will Hopoate (21) 3. Jarryd Hayne (25) 4. Michael Jennings (25) 5. Jorge Taufua (22) 6. Luke Brooks (19) 7. Adam Reynolds (23) 8. Andrew Fifita (24) 9. Mitch Rein (23) 10. Aaron Woods (22) 11. Boyd Cordner (21) 12. Josh Jackson (23) 13. Trent Merrin (24). Interchange: 14. Josh Reynolds (24) 15. Ryan James (22) 16. David Klemmer (20) 17. Bryce Cartwright (19)

Budding NSW and Wests Tigers superstar Luke Brooks during last season's Holden Cup. Source: News Limited

EXPERIENCE

Nine players from this NSW line-up have already played Origin, while just six of the Queenslanders have been there before. So the nod here goes to the Blues - although, let's face it, the guys who have played for NSW during the current era haven't had a great time of things.

Also, halfback Cherry-Evans will likely be a seasoned Maroons superstar five years down the track and is the only half from either team to have played Origin.

We could have left Mitchell Pearce in the NSW team, given he is still just 24, but ran with the widely held view that Rabbitohs playmaker Adam Reynolds will get a crack at the No.7 jersey in coming years.

Both sides will retain a strong core of experience in the forwards. Should Jarryd Hayne still be in action for the Blues, he could overtake former captain Brad Fittler's record of 31 games for NSW.

VERDICT: NSW

Blues veteran Jarryd Hayne could go on to break Brad Fittler's games record for the Blues. Source: News Limited

SPINE

Based on the fact Cherry-Evans should cement himself in the champion category in coming seasons, you've got to go with Queensland here.

Halfback rival Reynolds is an unknown property at the higher level and yet to assert himself in the high-stakes world of NRL finals - to the extent that he was deemed not ready for Origin as Souths bombed out last season.

With Milford and Brooks at five-eighth, you have a potential superstar on either side, though both teenagers are unproven quantities so early in their careers.

Brooks is the great white hope of NSW, so highly regarded he has been branded the next Andrew Johns.

Future Queensland hooker Jake Friend was unlucky not to get a nod for the World Cup campaign, so we'll give him the thumbs up over promising Dragons rake Mitch Rein.

In the battle of the fullbacks, it's a case of splitting hairs between two brilliant but erratic talents in Barba and Dugan.

VERDICT: Queensland

Maroons star Daly Cherry-Evans is already accustomed to winning on the big stage. Source: News Limited

FORWARDS

Our future NSW team has four big men who boast Origin experience. Then there are the rookies: Titans prop Ryan James, Bulldogs backrower Josh Jackson, Dogs prop David Klemmer and Penrith tyro Bryce Cartwright.

Queensland also have four capped players, while their new men are Josh McGuire, Korbin Sims, Aidan Guerra and Dylan Napa.

The already-blooded Blues forwards should be in their prime, led by reigning Dally M positional players of the year - prop Andrew Fifita and ¬second-rower Boyd Cordner.

Maroons prop Matt Scott will by then be channelling Petero Civoniceva as a veteran, but Papalii will likely grow into a monstrous force.

The Blues enjoy an edge in size through three monsters in Fifita, James and the hugely promising Klemmer.

VERDICT: NSW

Josh Papalii lays a huge hit on Boyd Cordner. Source: News Limited

OUTSIDE BACKS

Our theoretical Blues are huge and powerful on the flanks. The only newcomer is Manly wing dynamo Jorge Taufua.

Established stars Jarryd Hayne and Michael Jennings will still be carving up in the centres and one-game NSW superstar Will Hopoate will be back on the wing after his Mormon mission.

The Maroons aren't bad ¬either. Greg Inglis should be in Immortal territory by then. Justin O'Neill, Dane Gagai and Edrick Lee are handy talents. But outside of the incomparable Inglis the Blues look to have an edge in class here.

VERDICT: NSW

Manly winger Jorge Taufua beats Sonny Bill Williams to score in the 2013 grand final. Source: News Limited

WHO WILL WIN?

NSW has claimed three of our four categories, so on that basis we can declare the Blues will reclaim supremacy in the future.

However, as we've stressed above, Queensland's ownership of budding great Cherry-Evans is a massive factor in the Maroons' favour.

Also significant will be the incredible culture of success developed by the Maroons during their unprecedented eight-series winning streak in Origin - which could stretch to a decade and beyond before their champion players call it quits.

Will NSW be capable of beating Queensland in coming seasons?

Certainly the teams look much more even on paper.

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