A record State of Origin crowd is expected at the MCG for State of Origin II on Wednesday.
More than 24,000 interstate fans are expected to flock to the iconic venue, with officials anticipating a crowd in excess of 90,000, with 85,000 tickets already sold as of midday on Monday.
It is anticipated the crowd will exceed the 87,161 fans that were at the MCG for the first Origin fixture at the venue, Game II in 1994, which was a then-record for a rugby league match in Australia
NRL chief executive Dave Smith said the expected attendance proved that it was right to move one of the game's showpiece fixtures to the southern capital, where AFL is king.
"It's the right thing to do to bring it to fans," Smith said on Monday.
"I believe it's a very educated sporting public down here so I think it's going to be a great atmosphere.
"In Victoria last year there were something like 600,000 people watching on TV which had grown from 2007 when there was around 50,000 so you can see there's real interest nationally about Origin."
Smith said the NRL hoped Game II could be the most watched match of rugby league ever, and that this year's series could be the best attended overall ever.
Queensland's 11-10 win in Origin I last month was witnessed by 80,122 fans at ANZ Stadium.
The rugby league record crowd in is 107,558, who watched Melbourne win the 1999 grand final against St George Illawarra at the Olympic venue.
Wednesday's is the fourth Origin match to be played at the MCG. NSW won Game II in 1994 and Game II in 1997, with Queensland victorious in Game II in 1995.
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