Queensland out for revenge, NSW out for 2 from 2
PBR Australia Presents: Monster Energy Origin I \u2013 Newcastle
May 30, 7:00PM | Newcastle Entertainment Centre
The toughest rivalry in Australian sport returns to the chutes on MAY 30, with Newcastle set to host the opening clash of the 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Origin Series, where state pride, raw power and eight seconds of chaos collide.
The teams have officially been announced, with both the Queensland Maroons and New South Wales Blues assembling stacked line-ups of elite riders ready to go head-to-head in one of sport\u2019s most brutal and unpredictable arenas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fresh off history in 2025, the pressure now sits firmly on New South Wales after claiming their first-ever PBR Origin Series title in a dramatic Sydney decider, and proving it was no one-off performance. But Queensland arrives in 2026 with a rebuilt, reinvigorated squad determined to bring the trophy back across the border.
Last year\u2019s Origin finale delivered one of the most electric nights in Australian bull riding history, with the Blues defeating Queensland 500.25 points to 419.50, notching six qualified rides to the Maroons\u2019 five. Now, the rematch begins on neutral ground in Newcastle.
The 2026 series kicks off at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on May 30, before heading to Brisbane on June 6, and culminating in Sydney on August 1. Tickets are on sale now.
Queensland\u2019s charge is led by a powerhouse roster featuring reigning Australian Champion Kurt Shephard (Mareeba), world-class talents Macaulie Leather (Calliope) and Donnie Rutherfurd (Mount Isa) \u2014 both returning from standout US campaigns ahead of Origin \u2014 alongside Zane Hall (Athol), Boston Leather (Calliope) and Ben Bode (Calliope).
New South Wales enters the opener with equal firepower, boasting returning Origin standouts Sam Woodall (Heywood), Clint Glass (Willow Tree), Dylan Weir (Tumut), Jack Rowlandson (Oberon) and Lachlan Slade (Tamworth), as well as international reinforcements Keny Roger and Alison Aguiar from Brazil.
Queensland will once again be guided by coach Jared Borghero, the former bull rider turned elite protection athlete known for his uncompromising approach, while NSW is led by Lachlan Richardson, seven-time PBR World Finals qualifier and one of the sport\u2019s most respected competitors.
On reviewing the teams, PBR Australia\u2019s Simon Mallory said the Newcastle event will see both teams come out firing!
\u201cQueensland has Macaulie Leather fresh back from competing in the USA World Championships, in superior form however he will need to hit the practice pen to reconnect with the Aussie Bulls bucking style. His brother Boston dominated Nowra, and looks to be back in form,\u201d he said. \u201cThe northern duo of Leith and Kurt is a powerful one – Kurt on a mission for back to back Australian titles, Leith in his pocket learning everything he can and producing the goods, and there\u2019s Donnie Rutherford coming back from the USA which gives another HUGE boost for the team\u201d
\u201cNew South Wales rider Sam Woodall is so hot right now he has to be careful where goes to not cause a bushfire! He was dominant in the recent Sydney Meatstock and looks good for Newcastle, and Dylan Weir is riding like the Cowboy of Origin cheque is already his.\u201d
\u201cThe seasoned veterans of Clint, Toby, Lachlan Slade are no strangers to pressure and pulling of high scoring rides while the new Brazilian Keny Roger is as good as we\u2019ve seen from the internationals in the last few years, and putting serious heat on Kurt for end of year Gold Buckle.\u201d
TEAM QUEENSLAND
Coach: Jared Borghero
\u00b7 Macaulie Leather \u2013 Calliope, QLD
\u00b7 Kurt Shephard \u2013 Mareeba, QLD
\u00b7 Donnie Rutherfurd \u2013 Mount Isa, QLD
\u00b7 Zane Hall \u2013 Athol, QLD
\u00b7 Ethan Coster \u2013 Miriam Vale, QLD
\u00b7 Kelsey Pavlou \u2013 Toora, VIC
\u00b7 Boston Leather \u2013 Calliope, QLD
\u00b7 Ky Borghero \u2013 Proserpine, QLD
\u00b7 Ben Bode \u2013 Calliope, QLD
\u00b7 Leith Malone \u2013 Mareeba, QLD
Alternates:
\u00b7 Thomas Triplett \u2013 Bungundarra, QLD
\u00b7 Dawson Foden \u2013 Moura, QLD
TEAM NEW SOUTH WALES
Coach: Lachlan Richardson
\u00b7 Keny Roger \u2013 Brazil
\u00b7 Sam Woodall \u2013 Heywood, VIC
\u00b7 Clint Glass \u2013 Willow Tree, NSW
\u00b7 Colby Edgar \u2013 Tamworth, NSW
\u00b7 Dylan Weir \u2013 Tumut, NSW
\u00b7 Jack Rowlandson \u2013 Oberon, NSW
\u00b7 Toby Collins \u2013 Maldon, VIC
\u00b7 Alison Aguiar \u2013 Brazil
\u00b7 Thomas Hudson \u2013 Dungog, NSW
\u00b7 Lachlan Slade \u2013 Tamworth, NSW
Alternates:
\u00b7 Thomas Hudson \u2013 Dungog, NSW
\u00b7 Charlie Bailey \u2013 Oberon, NSW
JUNIORS TO RIDE IN THE SPOTLIGHT FIRST!!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the big guns buck it out, the next generation of bull riding stars will take centre arena. Junior riders will compete at all three Origin events in Newcastle, Brisbane and Sydney, with teams of four selected from the 2025 PBR Australia Can-Am Junior Academy. Aged between nine and 17, these rising stars will go head-to-head in one of the fiercest rivalries in Australian sport, just on a smaller, but no less determined, scale.
Team Queensland
\u00b7 Lane Cross (Bundaberg, QLD) \u2013 17 years
\u00b7 Chase Wieland (Gympie, QLD) \u2013 14 years (second time representing \u2013 2024)
\u00b7 Wylie Roots (Duaringa, QLD) \u2013 13 years (third time representing \u2013 2024, 2025)
\u00b7 Jasper Wieland (Gympie, QLD) \u2013 9 years
Team New South Wales
\u00b7 Liam Birks (Tamworth, NSW) \u2013 16 years
\u00b7 Kassedy Carlon (Bundarra, NSW) \u2013 13 years (third time representing \u2013 2024, 2025)
\u00b7 Nash Goddard (Glendon Brook, NSW) \u2013 12 years
\u00b7 Chase Berry (Gunnedah, NSW) \u2013 10 years
\u201cThe Can-Am Junior Academy is more than a ride or a series; it\u2019s the breeding ground for the next generation of champions. These young athletes are born for this and represent the future of bull riding in Australia. Bringing them into the Origin Series gives them even more experience, this time riding bulls as a team.\u201d
PBR Monster Energy Origin Series \u2013 THE SCOREBOARD SO FAR!
\u00b7 2019: Queensland
\u00b7 2020: Covid year
\u00b7 2021: Queensland
\u00b7 2022: Queensland
\u00b7 2023: Queensland
\u00b7 2024: Queensland
\u00b7 2025: News South Wales
ABOUT PBR AUSTRALIA<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professional Bull Riders (PBR) is one of the fastest-growing sports properties in the world, with tours across the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. A subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings \u2014which also owns UFC and WWE\u2014 has transformed bull riding into a premier international sport since its founding in 1992. The organisation features over 1,000 riders globally and hosts more than 200 events annually worldwide. In Australia, Professional Bull Riders Australia (PBRA) stages more than 20 events each year, attracting over 75,000 fans. PBRA showcases key events and tours such as the Monster Energy Tour, PBR Origin Series, and PBR Grand Finals, while also partnering with regional event organisers through the PBR Touring Pro Division. The organisation supports emerging talent through its Can-Am Junior Academy and serves as an international pathway to the United States circuit for both Junior and Open competition athletes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Queensland out for revenge, NSW out for 2 from 2 PBR Australia Presents: Monster Energy Origin I \u2013 NewcastleMay 30, 7:00PM | Newcastle Entertainment Centre The toughest rivalry in Australian sport returns to the chutes on MAY 30, with Newcastle set to host the opening clash of the 2026 PBR Australia Monster Energy Origin Series, where state … Continue reading “NEWCASTLE SET FOR A BLOCKBUSTER START TO 2026 PBR ORIGIN SERIES”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newcastle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39039"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39039\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39040,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39039\/revisions\/39040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}