For the first time in a generation, Queensland will head into an Origin series with none of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Johnathan Thurston or Billy Slater in the starting side.

June 25, game two of the 2003 series, was the last time a Maroons team featured none of the "big four" that have dominated the Blues over the past 12 years.

The halves that day were Ben Ikin and Shaun Berrigan, with Mick Crocker in the No.9 jersey and Darren Lockyer at fullback. The Blues won 27-4 with the likes of Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus pulling the strings.

Smith made his debut three weeks later, scoring a try in a huge 36-6 dead-rubber win. Although the Blues would go on to win Smith's first two full series in 2004 and '05, the groundwork was being laid for easily the most dominant period in Holden State of Origin history as Slater made his debut one game later at the start of the 2004 series and Thurston in game one the year after.

The all-conquering Queensland spine of Smith, Thurston, Lockyer and Billy Slater won six straight series; Cooper Cronk took over from Lockyer in 2012 (already with six Origins as a utility under his belt) and the Maroons didn't skip a beat, winning five of the next six series. The sole loss came in 2014 when Cronk broke his arm early in game one and missed game two as the Blues snatched a drought-breaking series win before Cronk's return helped inspire a huge 32-8 triumph.

Now, a new Origin era is upon us. Slater's final series will start with him missing game one with a hamstring injury. Queensland's spine – barring further injuries – will boast just 10 caps and eight of those through Michael Morgan, shuffled into fullback from the bench once Slater pulled out, in a position where he is familiar at club level but one he has never filled in Origin.

Cameron Munster and Ben Hunt only made their Origin debuts in game three last year. Hooker Andrew McCullough has 225 NRL caps but is making his first foray into the senior representative ranks.

NRL.com Stats waded through the archives to examine just how dominant the Smith-Thurston-Cronk-Slater combination has been over the past decade and the numbers are stark.