Blues embracing MCG atmosphere as record Origin crowd looms
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The NSW Blues are embracing the chance to play in front of a record crowd at the MCG as they look to wrap up the State of Origin series.
A crowd of 92,000 is expected to descend on the venue for Wednesday night's clash between NSW and Queensland. That would surpass the current record for an Origin game of 91,513 that was set when the Blues toppled the Maroons in 2015.
The attendance figures highlight the growing popularity of rugby league in Victoria and halfback Nathan Cleary said his team will feed off the energy from the fans in attendance.
Match Highlights: Blues v Maroons
"It's an insane experience," Cleary said. "It's like running out to a Coliseum, it's pretty sick.
"I made my Origin debut down there so I'm looking forward to getting down there again. It's an unbelievable stadium with an unbelievable atmosphere so it's pretty cool to get the chance to play there."
Match: Blues v Maroons
Game 2 -
home Team
Blues
away Team
Maroons
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
While rugby league has grown considerably in Melbourne throughout the past few decades, Origin has always proven a popular event in the Victorian capital.
Four of the five largest State of Origin crowds have been hosted by the MCG, with Wednesday's match set to rocket to the top of the list.
More than 87,000 fans descended on the historic venue for its first Origin game in 1994, while 90,084 watched Mitchell Moses produce a first-half masterclass two years ago.
Moses' triumphant return
The NSW playmaker helped the Blues jump out to a 34-0 lead to lay the foundation for a 38-18 victory and kickstart a come-from-behind series win.
While he fondly recalls his performance two years ago, Moses is eager to create new memories next Wednesday night.
"It's a great stadium to play at," Moses said. "Going to the MCG and playing there, you get a massive crowd with up to 100,000 fans.
"To go out there, do a job and hopefully wrap the series up in Game Two will be a good opportunity. For some of the boys it will be their first time playing there, so it's a good experience."
While tickets are selling fast, a limited number remain and fans have been encouraged to secure their seats now before the final tickets are snapped up.
The MCG has been a happy hunting ground for the Blues, who have won five of the six matches played at the venue.
Queensland's sole victory came back in 1995, when Fatty Vautin's unheralded side stunned NSW 20-12 as part of an unlikely clean sweep.
While the last Blues win was just two years ago, there has been plenty of change to the side that prevailed on that evening.
Addin Fonua-Blake is one of 12 new faces in the NSW team for next week's game and he's relishing the chance to play in front of a record crowd.
"I've never been to the MCG before," Fonua-Blake said. "It's a big stadium so I'm looking forward to it. Game One at Accor was one of the biggest crowds I've ever played in front of and I loved it.
"The atmosphere was incredible so to go to Melbourne to an even bigger crowd is going to be special."
A record crowd is set to pack into the MCG for Game Two of the State of Origin series. Tickets are selling fast, so click here to secure your seats before they sell out.
