New South Wales might have won the football last week, but will Queensland win the Superbikes this weekend? Last week, hundreds of thousands of Aussies watched on as New South Wales took their first Rugby State of Origin Series win after eight years. This week, the Australian road racing industry will house their very own State of Origin battle when the Swann Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship heads to Queensland for round three. This year the Swann Series plays home to top racers from all over Australia, but it will be round three at Queensland Raceway this weekend, that the riders will be picking sides when New South Wales and Queensland go head-to-head.

Image: Keith Muir.

Team NSW

Chris Seaton – Aprilla Factory Team
The NSW riders are just a lot tougher and we like to fight for our state. If you thought the State of Origin was tough, you’d want to get along to this round. My team is based in Queensland so I might get a bit of a following, but I’m definitely out of my territory this weekend. If we’re consistent from the day we turn up, and stay mistake free that you’ll be looking at a NSW guy on the podium on Sunday.

Glenn Allerton – Next Gen Motorsports BMW
Queenslanders are going to have the home track advantage this weekend, but I think if you look at this years calendar it’s a bit more in NSW’s favor, so us NSW riders are going to be stronger this year. It’s going to be one of those races where you have to hang tough, get a good start and stay consistent, but I think this weekend you’re going to see a NSW guy up the top.

Troy Herfoss – Team Honda Racing
We’re built tougher in NSW. The weather is a bit more challenging. We don’t get that leisurely lifestyle that the Queensland riders get up there. At the end of the day I think you’ll be seeing a Blues man on the box this weekend.

Jamie Stauffer – Team Honda Racing
We’re true blue Aussie workers down in NSW, we don’t just hang around in the sunshine like the Queenslanders, so we’re there to get the job done really. It’s going to take a couple of wins to get on the podium this weekend. I think you’ll see one of the Blues guys on the box though and hopefully he’s wearing a set of red Honda leathers.

Image: Keith Muir.

Team QLD

Ben Henry – Cube Racing Kawasaki
Queensland just has better weather so we can train harder. New South Welshman are just battling away in the cold while we get to take advantage of the sunshine. The biggest threat to everyone, and from New South Wales is Glenn Allerton, he’s the guy to beat. This weekend is going to be about who has the biggest brakes! But I think you’ll see one of the Maroon boys on the podium – there could be a Blues boy but I think QLD will take top spot.

Robert Bugden – Yamaha Racing Team
I’m born and bred in Brisbane, so I’m hoping I can put on a good show for the home crowd! It could be a number of different guys up front, we have all tested out there and the times are all very close. There are six or eight guys who could do it this weekend. I think we just need to keep the momentum up that we have got going from the test, be fast right from the get go and make some good decisions with the direction we take with the bike. I think there’s a few fast guys up here – Mike Jones and Linden Magee so I think you might be seeing a QLD dominated podium this weekend.

Linden Magee – LMR BMW
The one point I think is that this weekend we are going to have a home track advantage. The NSW boys are coming to QLD so it will be great to have a home crowd behind us. If we can qualify well and get good starts we will have a good chance of being on top of the podium. I think there are a few more NSW boys than Queenslanders so we might be outnumbered, but I think QLD is going to take this one.

Mike Jones – Crazy Dogs Kawasaki
We live in the sunshine state so we get to train a lot more than the sooky NSW guys! I think this weekend it’s going to take a lot of guts and determination to get on the podium. There are some pretty quick NSW guys, but I think with the home round advantage, it’s going to be a QLD boy on the podium.