Overview
- Geelong’s Chris Scott will coach Victoria and Sydney’s Dean Cox will lead Western Australia for the Optus Stadium fixture.
- The men’s State of Origin returns for the first time since 1999, with Victoria and WA meeting for the first time since 1992.
- The match is scheduled as a pre-season standalone event on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at Optus Stadium in Perth.
- Each coach will appoint three assistant coaches and a high-performance manager, and selection committees with chairmen will be named shortly.
- Player announcements are expected to begin in the coming months under the confirmed eligibility rule tied to where players were drafted from at junior level.