Overview
- WA and Victoria squads assembled in Perth on Wednesday night with a main training session scheduled Thursday at West Coast's Mineral Resources Park.
- West Coast forward Jake Waterman was a late inclusion for WA and is set for his first game in 265 days after shoulder surgery, joining Nick Daicos in the first father–son Origin connection.
- Team leaders including Tom Barrass, Jacob Weitering and Darcy Cameron said they expect a fierce contest despite managed minutes designed to limit injury risk.
- Western Australia will don the black swan guernsey for the first time since 1998 as family-focused events and player appearances welcomed the teams into town.
- Channel Seven will broadcast the match, with commentator Brian Taylor publicly backing WA, as Optus Stadium prepares for a sell-out crowd.