A big-time bull pen awaits teams Queensland and New South Wales for Game 3 of the 2026 PBR Origin series tonight at the TikTok Entertainment Centre in Sydney.
We don’t see this composition of stock contractors too often, but it generally leads to the cowboys rising to the occasion and producing some memorable moments. Scattered between those harder opportunities are easier chances that both coaches will expect their riders to convert to keep the scoreboard ticking over.
Riding percentages at the opening two matches landed at 35.42% in Newcastle and 27.08% in Brisbane, and if the teams can land between that range, they will be doing well in this final game.
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Let's break down some of the best chances for both teams across the long rounds:
View the full PBR Origin III – Sydney Daysheet.
Round 1 Matchups
Rylee Ward (QLD) on -120 Honey Hole (Lazy G Bucking Bulls)
The Kiwi young-gun was one of the most in-form riders during the July tour run through North Queensland. He posted strong finishes at Cairns and Townsville before splitting the win at Bloomsbury. His opening round draw is Honey Hole, who has allowed three scores from his four career outs in PBR Australia competition. Those scores haven’t been massive, but in Origin, any score is a good score. Right-handed riders are 1-from-2, with Donnie Rutherfurd the successful cowboy, marked 82 points at Hawkesbury last season. They should do battle around to the right and into Ward's hand.
Charlie Bailey (NSW) on B02 Da Bear (Lazy G Bucking Bulls/Pukallus)
Bailey gets his chance to make an immediate impact in his debut for the Blues. The Oberon cowboy has struggled on tour so far this season, but I know he has been working hard in the practice pen, and I am sure it will start to pay off soon. Da Bear is a rider favourite, and despite the fact he turns back to the right, he offers everyone a good chance at picking up a score. The clockwise rotation puts him away from Bailey's riding hand, but if he can survive the opening few seconds, I can see him riding time. The last two riders to make the whistle were both left-handed riders – Kurt Shephard and Toby Collins for 83.50 and 85.00 points respectively.
Clint Glass (NSW) on 171 Throw It Back (Dunne Bulls)
These two have history. Throw It Back bucked off his first eight opponents before Glass got the job done at Origin II in Brisbane for 86.15 points and the round win. That was the second time that these two had met up, with the first matchup going the bull's way at Beaudesert in 5.95 seconds. Glass has a great chance at moving ahead here. He was unlucky not to get the job done at Beaudesert, after the bull launched inside the chutes just as he nodded. The bull's regular trip is to turn back to the right, which tips the advantage to the Willow Tree veteran once again.
Ky Borghero (QLD) on 882 Uppercut (Maynes Bucking Bulls)
Borghero had a slow start to the Origin series, but he carries plenty of momentum into Game 3, and he could be a real contributor for his team. He went 2-for-2 at Bloomsbury to split the event win and hasn’t been far away on other suitable bulls. He gets a nice chance here against Uppercut, who should be out and around to the left and into his hand. We haven’t seen too many left-handed riders go up against this bull in the last year of competition, but when they have, they all reach the second half of the ride. Any score around the 85-point mark will be a good one for the Proserpine cowboy in this round.
Zane Hall (QLD) on 214 Asmodeus (Swain Cattle Company)
The Athol talent returns from a quick trip to Brazil, where he rode a couple of handy bulls, and he gets an opportunity to shake off the jet lag here in the opening round against Asmodeus. The cowboys have a good conversion rate aboard this bull, with three scores averaging 83.45 points recorded from eight attempts. He can produce a few different trips, but he has been favouring a turn back to the left in his most recent outs. That will suit Hall, who hasn’t had the most favourable run of opponents through the middle of the PBR Australia season.
Jack Rowlandson (NSW) on 218 Ranga Time (Keliher Bucking Bulls)
Rowlandson has a couple of good matchups tonight. He has gone 1-for-4 across the Origin series, and he would have hoped to have added at least one more score for his team in the opening games. He gets a chance to make amends here against Ranga Time. This bull bucked off four cowboys to open his career, but Keny Roger de Oliveira put a stop to that run in Brisbane for 82.60 points. He should turn back to the left, and into the Oberon bull rider's hand, and they could finish a point or two higher than his New South Wales teammate.
Round 2 Matchups
Caiden Sandilands (QLD) on Maltmans Juggernaut (Diamond S Bucking Bulls)
The Rockhampton veteran returned to PBR Australia competition with a bang, recording the second-highest ride score of the season in his runner-up finish at the Cairns Invitational last month. He gets a great opportunity to continue his run in the second round. Maltmans Juggernaut has given up a score in all four of his trips on tour. Three of those scores have gone the way of left-handed riders. The overall average mark comes in at 82.06 points, with Sam Woodall owning the highest score of 85.25 points. This bull does mix up his trips, so it's hard to predict a score, but if Sandilands can land between those two, his team will be very happy.
Ethan Coster (QLD) on 139 Kinky Ninja (Keliher Bucking Bulls)
Kinky Ninja hasn’t been easy to get by so far in his career, allowing just two scores from eighteen trips. Both scores have gone the way of left-handed riders, and the latest of those was back at Beaudesert, where Dawson Foden was 82.30 points, but I think there are a few more points available if a cowboy can make it work. Lefties have a clear advantage aboard this bull, with their average buck-off time more than 2 seconds longer than the right-handed riders. Coster has bucked off his last three bulls, but it's been a tough run of above-average opponents. Look for the bull to turn back to the left, and a score here will keep the Miriam Vale young gun firmly in the running for the $30,000 Cowboy of Origin bonus.
Toby Collins (NSW) on 7921 Checkmate (Morgys Cattle Company)
Checkmate was a good draw for left-handed bull riders during the 2025 season, but this year, he has bucked off five of the six lefties to climb aboard. I haven’t had a chance to watch this bull buck so far this season, but I assume that he still turns back to the left, and we could put the buck-off streak down to a bad run by the cowboys. Overall, three of the four qualified rides have gone the way of lefties, with the recent score going to Keny Roger de Oliveira for 83.80 points at the Sydney Meatstock event. Collins has done a pretty good job for his adopted state in the first two games, and I think the Maldon cowboy gets a nice opportunity to add another score here.
Luan Crystian Camara (NSW) on 054 Twist & Shout (Dunne Bulls)
This is my most anticipated matchup of the night. Twist & Shout is one of the toughest draws in this round - there is no denying that. He has allowed just three qualified rides from thirty trips in his career, but all three of those scores have gone the way of high-ranked right-handed riders. For me, the Brazilian fits the bill, and he should be able to take this bull a long way into the clock. He has drawn deep in both rounds tonight, and he will be contending for the round and event wins if he can convert on either opportunity. Watch for the bull to turn back to the right with plenty of speed and power. Camara will be into his hand with scores in the high 80-point range probable.
Alison Aguiar (NSW) on 1901 Midnight Special (Diamond S Bucking Bulls)
Aguiar has been showing us what he is capable of late, covering four of his last seven bulls and has been riding well away from his hand. That form should help him out here against Midnight Special. This bull is approaching fifty trips on tour, and he allows a qualified ride around 35% of the time for an average score of 83.55 points. What has made him difficult to get by is that he has no set trip, although he probably favours an initial turn to the right with a reversal, but an immediate turn to the left isn’t out of the question. The left-handed Brazilian will need to take this bull jump for jump.
Ben Bode (QLD) on 3202 Even Up (Morgys Cattle Company)
You will struggle to find an Origin cowboy who has drawn a tougher run of bulls throughout the 2026 series than Bode, but he has been working his way back into form over the last month. He gets a great opportunity to post a score for his team late in the second round aboard Even Up. This bull has allowed six scores and some really long buck-off times in his career. He mostly turned back to the left, which puts him into the Calliope cowboy's hand, but can reverse at any point of the ride. Recent scores haven’t been much to write home about, averaging around the 80-point range, but we have seen them several points higher than that in the past, and that’s what Bode will be aiming for here in Queensland's final long round opportunity.
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