06.05.26 - Feature
Brisbane Braces for PBR Origin II as Maroons Hunt Series Victory
Queensland looks to secure the Origin crown while the Blues chase redemption in front of a Brisbane crowd.
By Josh Hanson
After a thrilling finish to Game 1 of the 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Origin Series, the tour heads north this weekend for the second match between Queensland and New South Wales at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Saturday, 6 June 2026, starting at 7:00 p.m.
The Maroons survived a late challenge from the Blues in the opening match Bonus Round to take a 1-nil lead in the best of three series. Macaulie Leather, the 2023 PBR Australian National Champion, and rookie sensation Ethan Coster converted late opportunities into points, giving the visitors nine rides to eight.
Can the Blues bounce back and force a third and deciding game in Sydney as they did in the 2025 series, or will the Maroons take an unassailable 2-nil lead and be crowned 2026 champions?
Fans holding VIP On The Dirt tickets will have access to the arena starting at 5:00 p.m. for an exclusive pre-show that includes a chance to meet the riders, stock contractors, and come face-to-face with an all-star bucking bull.
The Can-Am Junior Academy will again be in action, leading off the main performance with an exhibition Origin featuring four riders from each state across the Pee Wee, Junior, Senior and Rising Stars divisions.
Event information and tickets are available from the PBR Australia website.
Download the Watch PBR Australia LIVE app to watch the 2026 Monster Energy Tour and the 2026 PBR Origin Series. You can use your VR headset, mobile device, or tablet, or cast to your TV. Visit watchvr.pbraustralia.com.au to secure your season pass.
Both teams got off to a hot start in Newcastle, with New South Wales holding a four-rides-to-three lead at the conclusion of Round 1.
Queensland levelled up the scores at six rides each midway through the second round, but hey still trailed by the barest of margins—505.00 to 504.90 points with only five riders remaining for each team.
The bulls dominated the final section of Round 2, but the Maroons were able to land a late qualified ride to move ahead seven rides to six.
The Blues hit the front in the dying stages of the Bonus Round, but Queensland posted two scores to retake the lead and record a 759.10 to 677.50 win.
Kurt Shephard picked up his third event win of the season, with scores in Rounds 1 and 2 of the competition totalling 170.30 points, strengthening his lead in the National Standings.
Read the full event wrap-up - Maroons Sink Blues in Newcastle.
Each Origin event will have three rounds. In Rounds 1 and 2, each team's 10 riders will each try one bull. The top four riders from each team on the leaderboard advance to the Bonus Round for a final out.
The state that achieves the highest combined score across the three rounds of competition will be declared the winner.
Riders will compete for over $50,000 in prize money at each PBR Origin event. They also earn points towards the 2025 PBR Australian National Standings. Event points are only available in Rounds 1 and 2. The individual event winner is the cowboy with the highest aggregate score after the second round.
There has been a change to the format of the Cowboy of Origin competition for 2026. In the past, the rider with the highest aggregate score across the six long rounds won the bonus. This year, Bonus Rounds are included, and the 2026 Cowboy of Origin will receive a $30,000 bonus.
View the updated 2026 PBR Australian National Standings.
No Team Changes
The good news for Queensland and New South Wales is that there are no changes to their 10-man lineups heading into Brisbane, and that will please coaches Jared Borghero and Lachlan Richardson.
While much of the focus in the lead-up to this series has been on the veteran bull riders, look for Origin rookies such as Leith Malone for the Maroons, and Colby Edgar for the Blues, to play a key role in their teams' success after experiencing the format and the pressure of representing their state for the first time in Newcastle.
Riding Percentages and Winning Scores
Going into Game 1, we thought the riding percentage would fall in a similar range to events such as the Sydney Meatstock Touring Pro and the Nowra Invitational, where the bull pens were of similar quality.
The cowboys exceeded our expectations, with the riding percentage in Newcastle finishing at 35.42%, which is almost five rides ahead of the season average.
Both Team Queensland and Team New South Wales reached their highest total scores in Origin competition since Games 2 and 3 of the 2023 series. Both of those games ended 9-all, with the Maroons winning by 7.5 points in Brisbane and the Blues by 8 points in Cairns.
The final score at Origin II here in Brisbane last year ended with both teams locked together at six rides apiece and the Blues narrowly winning by 8.25 points.
I think we will see another low scoring, but competitive game on Saturday night.
Increase in Bull Power
The teams will face a much tougher pen of bulls in Brisbane than they did in Newcastle. It seems to be more in line with the Beaudesert Invitational from February, where they rode just 18.99%.
The Origin II long round pen features the 2025 PBR Australia Bucking Bull of the Year Alpha Blokes Warden (MJ/Keliher) and 2024 winner Mr T (Dittmann), tour mainstays such as Seven Eleven (CF7), Twist & Shout (Dunne) and Ariats Last Strike (Dunne), plus rising star and high-marked bull from Newcastle - Stetson Nirvana (Dittmann).
With the genuine opportunities to post a score expected to be limited, the riders will need to take full advantage of any that fall their way if we are to see team scores reach the seven-ride mark. If we do see some of the seldomly ridden bulls conquered, those will be the difference makers.
The Bonus Round should offer plenty of opportunities for riders to post some handy scores, and we should see some late action, which will give us another exciting finish.
Cowboy of Origin
The race for the $30,000 Cowboy of Origin bonus is one of the tightest we have seen, but there is still a long way to go in this nine-round competition.
Sam Woodall leads the way after three rounds, with a total score of 172.70 points after he posted scores in Round 1 and the Bonus Round in Newcastle.
Holding down the minor placings are Macaulie Leather and Kurt Shephard on 171.40 and 170.30 points respectively.
Keny Roger de Oliveira (169.00), Ethan Coster (167.95) and Boston Leather (165.55) also have two scores on the leaderboard to round out the top six, with Toby Collins the best of the cowboys with one score on 86.35 points in seventh place.
View the latest PBR Australia Event Results.
Check back tomorrow for The Morning Line, where I analyse some of the most anticipated matchups for Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2026 PBR Origin II – Brisbane.
View the full Event Schedule and Ticket Information for the 2026 PBR Australia season.
For the latest results, news and stats, stay tuned to PBRAustralia.com.au, follow the tour on Facebook (PBR Australia), Instagram (@PBRAustralia) and TikTok (@PBRAustralia), and subscribe to @ProBullRidersAust on YouTube for event replays and highlights.