DIEHARD
Administrator
NSW vs QLD
2015 Origin 1: NSW vs QLD
- Thread starter DIEHARD
- Start date
DIEHARD
Administrator
This is the year when Queensland win 3-0 and smash the Blues. No excuses.
TitansFan92
Junior
hahaha keep dreaming mate NSW will win this year
TITAN PETE
Super Moderator
Not a chance in hell if the leaked team is the team actually chosen .... & I am a Blue
shamus
Rep Player
I'm with you Pete!
DIEHARD
Administrator
Yes.... yes.... agree...
DIEHARD
Administrator
I love this jersey
Titanic
Immortal
And Artie is a True Blue? ... he'll rise from his grave and stick it right up the NSWailers' clackers ... as if Qld has ever needed any motivation.
Numbers
Junior
Good to see that Ryan James' form is being rewarded:
"St George Illawarra's Tyson Frizell, Penrith's Matt Moylan and Gold Coast's Ryan James were called into camp in Coffs Harbour on Tuesday night as part of the Blues' extended squad, ..."
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/state-of-origin/state-of-origin-andrew-fifita-knocks-back-laurie-daleys-offer-to-miss-game-one-for-birth-of-his-daughter-20150519-gh54uc.html
"St George Illawarra's Tyson Frizell, Penrith's Matt Moylan and Gold Coast's Ryan James were called into camp in Coffs Harbour on Tuesday night as part of the Blues' extended squad, ..."
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/state-of-origin/state-of-origin-andrew-fifita-knocks-back-laurie-daleys-offer-to-miss-game-one-for-birth-of-his-daughter-20150519-gh54uc.html
DIEHARD
Administrator
Suspended enforcer Greg Bird to take on NSW Origin team today
Sydney Morning Herald
SUSPENDED NSW Origin forward Greg Bird will switch state allegiances today.
But Bird has no plans to turn Maroon for anything more than 24 hours.
Ineligible for NSW selection following his eight-game suspension for a dangerous throw earlier this month, Bird is still allowed under NRL rules to train with the squad and has arrived in Blues camp in Coffs Harbour to assist his teammates.
But the influential NSW veteran could be in for a rude shock when he steps out to act as Queensland’s Johnathan Thurston in today’s crucial opposed training session with the Blues.
The NSWRL will today fly five rising Holden Cup stars – Manly’s Tom Trbojevic, Cronulla’s Brad Deitz, Penrith’s Brent Naden and the Sydney Roosters’ Joey Lussick and Paul Momirovski – into Coffs for the opposed session.
They will join NSW’s three development players – Matt Moylan, Tyson Frizell and Ryan James – along with the NSW bench of David Klemmer, Andrew Fifita, Trent Merrin and Boyd Cordner as opposition. NSW will have opposed sessions today and tomorrow.
“These blokes are good young players,” NSW coach Laurie Daley said.
“We thought it would be good for them to get a bit of experience and see how an Origin camp operates.”
NSWRL general manager of football Barrie-Jon Mather said: “We are trying to get some quality opposition and trying to use some of our pathway players.
“We can see these young players coming through in the future.
“It will be good for them to get some experience in a State of Origin camp.”
The aim of the session is for NSW to simulate their game plan and how they plan to attack and defend against Queensland in Game One on Wednesday night.
Bird laughed when he said “he would put on the Queensland seven jumper’’ during the session.
But he answered with a much more serious tone when asked, if eligible, should he have been chosen at five-eighth, as Immortal Andrew Johns had suggested before the selection of NSW five-eighth Mitchell Pearce.
“I couldn’t be happier with the whole team,” Bird said.
“If I had the opportunity to pick the team, I would’ve picked the exact same players. I think Pearcey, ever since he missed the series last year, his game has gone up another level and the form he’s showed at the start of this season, he definitely deserves a spot in this side.
“Their two games will complement each other. Pearcey has got a sharp step and Hodko (Trent Hodkinson) will direct the team around and give them what they need.
“The two halves that Queensland have have been effective for them and there’s no reason why our boys can’t do the same thing.
“I hope those guys can work up a combination that is going to last in the NSW side, not just this series but moving forward into the future.”
Sydney Morning Herald
SUSPENDED NSW Origin forward Greg Bird will switch state allegiances today.
But Bird has no plans to turn Maroon for anything more than 24 hours.
Ineligible for NSW selection following his eight-game suspension for a dangerous throw earlier this month, Bird is still allowed under NRL rules to train with the squad and has arrived in Blues camp in Coffs Harbour to assist his teammates.
But the influential NSW veteran could be in for a rude shock when he steps out to act as Queensland’s Johnathan Thurston in today’s crucial opposed training session with the Blues.
The NSWRL will today fly five rising Holden Cup stars – Manly’s Tom Trbojevic, Cronulla’s Brad Deitz, Penrith’s Brent Naden and the Sydney Roosters’ Joey Lussick and Paul Momirovski – into Coffs for the opposed session.
They will join NSW’s three development players – Matt Moylan, Tyson Frizell and Ryan James – along with the NSW bench of David Klemmer, Andrew Fifita, Trent Merrin and Boyd Cordner as opposition. NSW will have opposed sessions today and tomorrow.
“These blokes are good young players,” NSW coach Laurie Daley said.
“We thought it would be good for them to get a bit of experience and see how an Origin camp operates.”
NSWRL general manager of football Barrie-Jon Mather said: “We are trying to get some quality opposition and trying to use some of our pathway players.
“We can see these young players coming through in the future.
“It will be good for them to get some experience in a State of Origin camp.”
The aim of the session is for NSW to simulate their game plan and how they plan to attack and defend against Queensland in Game One on Wednesday night.
Bird laughed when he said “he would put on the Queensland seven jumper’’ during the session.
But he answered with a much more serious tone when asked, if eligible, should he have been chosen at five-eighth, as Immortal Andrew Johns had suggested before the selection of NSW five-eighth Mitchell Pearce.
“I couldn’t be happier with the whole team,” Bird said.
“If I had the opportunity to pick the team, I would’ve picked the exact same players. I think Pearcey, ever since he missed the series last year, his game has gone up another level and the form he’s showed at the start of this season, he definitely deserves a spot in this side.
“Their two games will complement each other. Pearcey has got a sharp step and Hodko (Trent Hodkinson) will direct the team around and give them what they need.
“The two halves that Queensland have have been effective for them and there’s no reason why our boys can’t do the same thing.
“I hope those guys can work up a combination that is going to last in the NSW side, not just this series but moving forward into the future.”
DIEHARD
Administrator
HKRL will be holding their first ever Origin event at Pulse Bar. It's pleasing to have our own events. Should also be a great recruitment tool.
DIEHARD
Administrator
Looks like Game 1 is approaching a sell out.
DIEHARD
Administrator
Chambers itching for Origin glory
Will Chambers in his Origin debut for Queensland in 2014. Credit: Robb Cox. Copyright: NRL Photos.
It was the Origin itch he simply had to scratch and now that he is entrenched in the Maroons set-up Will Chambers is determined to continue the legacy established by senior Queensland players over the past decade.
In 2014 Chambers joined Willie Carne and Wendell Sailor as the only three players to have represented Queensland in both Origin and Super Rugby with Karmichael Hunt joining that exclusive club earlier this year.
But while both Carne, Sailor and Hunt's first representative honours were in rugby league, Chambers created his own unique slice of history by becoming the first Super Rugby player to then go on to play Origin for Queensland.
The 26-year-old had a two-year dalliance with rugby union after first spending three years with the Melbourne Storm and as he prepares for his second match for the Maroons said it was the lure of an Origin jersey that convinced him to come back to rugby league in 2012.
"It was just a great learning curve," Chambers said of his rugby stint that saw him play 23 Super Rugby games for the Reds before a short stint with Munster in Ireland.
"I got outside of that Melbourne coaching philosophy and I learnt a bit about myself. Some say I was a bit comfortable in Melbourne and that got me outside of that and it made me miss rugby league in some senses.
"I wanted to come back and play State of Origin and play for my country. I always had a goal growing up to do that and while I was playing the other game, it sort of itched at me to come back and give it one last crack.
"I'm very thankful [Storm football manager] Frank Ponissi flew over to Ireland to sign me. It was something I'll always remember and I'm forever thankful to the Storm."
Chambers had played just 42 NRL games when he switched codes but said he always intended to make a return.
Having played rugby while attending famed Brisbane school St Joseph's College, Chambers benefited from the exposure to some of the nation's best rugby players but said there was a very different feeling in pulling on the Maroons jersey in Game Three last year.
"You play that New South Wales-Queensland rivalry in rugby union and it's obviously built up as well but the Reds jersey is a week-to-week jersey, this is a one-off occasion," he said.
"You get three cracks at this whereas when I was at the Reds... It has the same meaning as Queensland but it was more of a club thing.
"I left rugby league on good terms," he added. "I went there open-minded and to see how it panned out. I played rugby at school and always wanted another crack.
"They helped me in rugby, especially early on, Willy [Genia] and Quade [Cooper] helped me a lot with my footy and made it really enjoyable up here."
Having already been chosen ahead of him for the Anzac Test against the Kiwis earlier this month, Chambers is now being groomed as a successor to Justin Hodges who is likely to be playing in his final Origin Series.
Chambers admitted that he had to pinch himself during training sessions ahead of his Origin debut last year and that he is taking every opportunity to soak in Hodges' experience while he still can.
"I'm honoured to play in this group of boys and especially outside 'Hodgo'," said Chambers. "He just gives me so much confidence and talks to you and pumps you up.
"If this is his last camp I'll pick his brains as much as I possibly can. If I can do half as much as he's done for this state I'll be very happy."
http://www.nrl.com/
Will Chambers in his Origin debut for Queensland in 2014. Credit: Robb Cox. Copyright: NRL Photos.
It was the Origin itch he simply had to scratch and now that he is entrenched in the Maroons set-up Will Chambers is determined to continue the legacy established by senior Queensland players over the past decade.
In 2014 Chambers joined Willie Carne and Wendell Sailor as the only three players to have represented Queensland in both Origin and Super Rugby with Karmichael Hunt joining that exclusive club earlier this year.
But while both Carne, Sailor and Hunt's first representative honours were in rugby league, Chambers created his own unique slice of history by becoming the first Super Rugby player to then go on to play Origin for Queensland.
The 26-year-old had a two-year dalliance with rugby union after first spending three years with the Melbourne Storm and as he prepares for his second match for the Maroons said it was the lure of an Origin jersey that convinced him to come back to rugby league in 2012.
"It was just a great learning curve," Chambers said of his rugby stint that saw him play 23 Super Rugby games for the Reds before a short stint with Munster in Ireland.
"I got outside of that Melbourne coaching philosophy and I learnt a bit about myself. Some say I was a bit comfortable in Melbourne and that got me outside of that and it made me miss rugby league in some senses.
"I wanted to come back and play State of Origin and play for my country. I always had a goal growing up to do that and while I was playing the other game, it sort of itched at me to come back and give it one last crack.
"I'm very thankful [Storm football manager] Frank Ponissi flew over to Ireland to sign me. It was something I'll always remember and I'm forever thankful to the Storm."
Chambers had played just 42 NRL games when he switched codes but said he always intended to make a return.
Having played rugby while attending famed Brisbane school St Joseph's College, Chambers benefited from the exposure to some of the nation's best rugby players but said there was a very different feeling in pulling on the Maroons jersey in Game Three last year.
"You play that New South Wales-Queensland rivalry in rugby union and it's obviously built up as well but the Reds jersey is a week-to-week jersey, this is a one-off occasion," he said.
"You get three cracks at this whereas when I was at the Reds... It has the same meaning as Queensland but it was more of a club thing.
"I left rugby league on good terms," he added. "I went there open-minded and to see how it panned out. I played rugby at school and always wanted another crack.
"They helped me in rugby, especially early on, Willy [Genia] and Quade [Cooper] helped me a lot with my footy and made it really enjoyable up here."
Having already been chosen ahead of him for the Anzac Test against the Kiwis earlier this month, Chambers is now being groomed as a successor to Justin Hodges who is likely to be playing in his final Origin Series.
Chambers admitted that he had to pinch himself during training sessions ahead of his Origin debut last year and that he is taking every opportunity to soak in Hodges' experience while he still can.
"I'm honoured to play in this group of boys and especially outside 'Hodgo'," said Chambers. "He just gives me so much confidence and talks to you and pumps you up.
"If this is his last camp I'll pick his brains as much as I possibly can. If I can do half as much as he's done for this state I'll be very happy."
http://www.nrl.com/
DIEHARD
Administrator
It’s been far from ideal but Mal says Maroons will be all right on the night
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/
MAROONS coach Mal Meninga is adamant Queensland’s interrupted State of Origin preparation won’t come back to haunt them.
The Maroons left their Sanctuary Cove base on the Gold Coast yesterday bound for Sydney following an eventful five days.
The team arrived on the Gold Coast last Wednesday with utility Daly Cherry-Evans immediately ruled out due to a shoulder injury.
Doubts hovered over fullback Billy Slater’s fitness until he trained for the first time on Friday but his availability was offset by injury and illness clouds hanging over centres Justin Hodges and Greg Inglis.
Hodges took to the field for the first time yesterday despite sporting stitches in his foot due to a barefoot bicycle accident.
Inglis made a brief appearance after being released from a three-day stint in hospital due to tonsillitis and did not take any part in the penultimate training run.
In contrast, the Blues have had a silky smooth preparation to date at Coffs Harbour with no injury concerns.
The Maroons will train for the final time at ANZ Stadium tomorrow before Wednesday’s series opener but Meninga played down any concerns over his side’s preparation.
“Greg’s played 24 Origin games so he’s fine. He trained with us early in the week as well so he knows our systems. Our systems don’t change and he knows how we want to play so he’s fine,” Meninga said.
“He’s smart enough to tell me that if he’s not 100 per cent well he would jeopardise the team but I think he’ll be fine.
“We’ll monitor it over the next few days but we’ve still got four days so we’ll be fine.
“We have a lot of downtime. We try to freshen up our players both physically and mentally so a session like (yesterday) is crucial to our preparation. We like to get everything right and we’d like to train at game standards.”
Standby centre Dane Gagai was released back to Newcastle on Saturday in the strongest indication yet that Inglis will take the field.
The Maroons had a solid 90-minute hit-out before flying out of Brisbane and veteran forward Sam Thaiday said Inglis would be ready to go.
“You kind of get used to these things now these days, especially with representative teams,” he said.
“You have players who are saved up to the last minute to train and they usually get on the field, and play the best game of footy of their lives.
“Hopefully, that is the same in this case.
“Being in the hospital for three days all by himself, he’ll be jumping around and keen to get out there and prove a point not just to the boys here but everyone else out there as well.”
The Maroons will spend 10 days in Melbourne before Game Two but will return to Sanctuary Cove in the lead-up to the final game of the series at Suncorp Stadium.
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/
MAROONS coach Mal Meninga is adamant Queensland’s interrupted State of Origin preparation won’t come back to haunt them.
The Maroons left their Sanctuary Cove base on the Gold Coast yesterday bound for Sydney following an eventful five days.
The team arrived on the Gold Coast last Wednesday with utility Daly Cherry-Evans immediately ruled out due to a shoulder injury.
Doubts hovered over fullback Billy Slater’s fitness until he trained for the first time on Friday but his availability was offset by injury and illness clouds hanging over centres Justin Hodges and Greg Inglis.
Hodges took to the field for the first time yesterday despite sporting stitches in his foot due to a barefoot bicycle accident.
Inglis made a brief appearance after being released from a three-day stint in hospital due to tonsillitis and did not take any part in the penultimate training run.
In contrast, the Blues have had a silky smooth preparation to date at Coffs Harbour with no injury concerns.
The Maroons will train for the final time at ANZ Stadium tomorrow before Wednesday’s series opener but Meninga played down any concerns over his side’s preparation.
“Greg’s played 24 Origin games so he’s fine. He trained with us early in the week as well so he knows our systems. Our systems don’t change and he knows how we want to play so he’s fine,” Meninga said.
“He’s smart enough to tell me that if he’s not 100 per cent well he would jeopardise the team but I think he’ll be fine.
“We’ll monitor it over the next few days but we’ve still got four days so we’ll be fine.
“We have a lot of downtime. We try to freshen up our players both physically and mentally so a session like (yesterday) is crucial to our preparation. We like to get everything right and we’d like to train at game standards.”
Standby centre Dane Gagai was released back to Newcastle on Saturday in the strongest indication yet that Inglis will take the field.
The Maroons had a solid 90-minute hit-out before flying out of Brisbane and veteran forward Sam Thaiday said Inglis would be ready to go.
“You kind of get used to these things now these days, especially with representative teams,” he said.
“You have players who are saved up to the last minute to train and they usually get on the field, and play the best game of footy of their lives.
“Hopefully, that is the same in this case.
“Being in the hospital for three days all by himself, he’ll be jumping around and keen to get out there and prove a point not just to the boys here but everyone else out there as well.”
The Maroons will spend 10 days in Melbourne before Game Two but will return to Sanctuary Cove in the lead-up to the final game of the series at Suncorp Stadium.
DIEHARD
Administrator
Blues v Maroons preview
ANZ Stadium Wednesday 8pm
The Holden State of Origin beast just seems to keep getting bigger every year and in 2015, for the first time since 2006, it is the New South Welshmen who head in looking to retain the shield and the Queenslanders who are the challengers.
There was an outpouring of emotion from the Blues when the fulltime siren sounded in Game II last year, sealing their narrow, tense, incredibly hard-fought series win.
Second-year coach Laurie Daley had pulled off a masterstroke and the former Blues five-eighth refuses to rest on his laurels; with captain Paul Gallen (hip), key man Greg Bird (suspension) and 2014 co-player of the series, NFL-bound Jarryd Hayne (also the Blues most-capped player last year) already unavailable, Daley has nevertheless discarded a further 31 games of experience by overlooking Luke Lewis and Anthony Watmough.
While Watmough and his Eels have been down on form this year the non-selection of Lewis was more of a surprise, and was actually contributed to by Gallen's injury meaning Daley wanted two props on the bench to help cover Gallen's workload.
He has handed a debut to Bulldogs giant David Klemmer on the bench and back-rower Josh Jackson in the starting lock role, recalling in-form tackle-buster Andrew Fifita and Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce as a five-eighth in place of Josh Reynolds, with Pearce to line up alongside last year's halfback Trent Hodkinson.
Josh Dugan takes over from Jarryd Hayne at the back with Josh Morris fit again and able to take his place in the centres, and Eels centre Will Hopoate taking the contended wing spot ahead of Kangaroos flanker Alex Johnston and Canberra fullback Jack Wighton.
Maroons coach Mal Meninga has largely stuck solid with the side that came roaring back last year to swamp the Blues in the Game III dead rubber. Matt Scott missed that one with injury while bench utility Daly Cherry-Evans will miss this one with injury while Ben Te'o (European rugby) and Josh Papalii (not selected) are the only others to have made way. The 18th and 19th men from that game, Josh McGuire and Michael Morgan, will make their Origin debuts to start this series off.
While the Blues had some early disruptions to their squad with Gallen and Bird being ruled out, it's been nothing but smooth sailing since the side was actually named. It has been the polar opposite for their opposition however; both centres, Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges, have hardly trained while fullback Billy Slater has had injury concerns and utility Daly Cherry-Evans was named and joined camp before being ruled out with an arm injury and replaced by Morgan.
Inglis in particular is of concern, having been hospitalised with a virus, while Hodges (cut foot) and Slater (shoulder) are not thought to be in doubt for Wednesday.
Watch out NSW: Queensland built a dynasty on professional, relentless, close-to-perfect football. In fact, since 2004, when the bones of the all-conquering outfit were making their way into the Origin arena in the form of Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater, the Maroons have absolutely lapped the Blues when it comes to mistake-free footy. In terms of best completion rates across a series in those 11 years, the Queenslanders have the top three efforts, five of the top six and 10 of the top 13. Their best effort was 83.4 per cent of sets completed in their victorious 2013 campaign, and completed at over 80 per cent five times: 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013 and last year. Conversely the Blues have completed over 80 per cent just once in that time, 82.6 per cent in 2012.
With the potency of Queensland's backline and relentlessness of their forward pack they have been more than capable of capitalising on the possession their superior ball handling has given them.
Experience could also be a factor: the Maroons have used just five halves combinations since 2006 to the Blues 16 and have a total of 268 games experience compared to the Blues' 106.
Watch out Queensland: With a fairly greasy and heavy track expected at ANZ on Wednesday, the Blues have named a monster forward pack with a bench weighing in at around 44 kilograms heavier than that of their rivals.
Sticking to a game plan, they managed to win the grind in the opening two games last year and statistics indicate this has been the approach for the Blues over a long period, playing a far less expansive brand of football than their opponents over the past decade.
In the past three years, the Blues have passed from the hooker to an interchange player 218 times; for the Maroons it is just 125. Conversely the Queenslanders have passed from the hooker to the half or five eighth far more than the Blues, indicating NSW play a far more limited one-out style of footy relying on forward hit ups while Queensland have been more expansive. Given the expected conditions and the team NSW have picked, we can expect them to be doing their best to batter the Queenslanders and sap their strength.
Given this backdrop, could the Maroons' ageing roster be a factor? Their average age of 28.4 makes them the oldest side in Origin history while the Blues at 25.4 will have some fresher legs.
Key Match-Up: A lifetime of watching Origin tells us this one will be won, as always, in the forwards. But it can be lost anywhere so the key match up here is the two halves pairings. We just know that if the Maroons pack gets their side in range, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston have what it takes to capitalise. With no Jarryd Hayne, it will be up to Mitch Pearce and Trent Hodkinson to take advantage of any opportunities the side gets in good position. Their combined stats after 10 games (none of the four has missed a game yet in 2015) make interesting reading.
The Maroons playmakers have a slight 17-15 edge in try assists and 15-12 in line break assists. Their running game has been far superior, with a combined 221 runs to the Blues halves 144 and combined average 146 metres against 99 metres. They have a 25-16 advantage in tackle breaks and have scored four tries against one. They kick the ball more: 240 kicks in general play to the Blues halves 191. They handle the ball more with 1,143 receives to 937.
Keeping with the overall theme of how each side is expected to play, the Blues halves have the defensive edge with 417 made tackles to 324 with only one extra miss. Pearce's 18 offloads hand the Blues pair a 20-9 advantage in that stat while for what it's worth the Maroons playmakers have had more field goal practice this year, slotting five one-pointers against one (to Hodkinson) for the Blues.
The History: Played 102; NSW 46, QLD 54, Drawn 2. Despite Queensland's eight years of dominance there still isn't a huge gap in the overall figures. They have only outscored the Blues in terms of overall points by 1,675 to 1,570. They also haven't had a great deal of success at ANZ Stadium, having won just six of 21 games (with one draw) and one of their past five at the venue.
Match Officials: Gerard Sutton & Ben Cummins; touch judges: Nick Beashel & Brett Suttor; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton & Luke Patten.
Televised: Channel Nine, Live, 7.30pm
The Way We See It: As ever in Origin, this is incredibly tough to tip. The Blues' youth, size and enthusiasm versus the Maroons' incredible wealth of Origin experience and almost telepathic communication from so many games played together. The Blues will be looking to win it on defence while the Maroons will be hoping a clinical all-round game will crack the blue wall open. We're not reading too much into Queensland's supposedly disrupted preparation, but at home and with Laurie Daley again the master of his domain we'll tip the Blues to grab a low-scoring arm wrestle by two points.
ANZ Stadium Wednesday 8pm
The Holden State of Origin beast just seems to keep getting bigger every year and in 2015, for the first time since 2006, it is the New South Welshmen who head in looking to retain the shield and the Queenslanders who are the challengers.
There was an outpouring of emotion from the Blues when the fulltime siren sounded in Game II last year, sealing their narrow, tense, incredibly hard-fought series win.
Second-year coach Laurie Daley had pulled off a masterstroke and the former Blues five-eighth refuses to rest on his laurels; with captain Paul Gallen (hip), key man Greg Bird (suspension) and 2014 co-player of the series, NFL-bound Jarryd Hayne (also the Blues most-capped player last year) already unavailable, Daley has nevertheless discarded a further 31 games of experience by overlooking Luke Lewis and Anthony Watmough.
While Watmough and his Eels have been down on form this year the non-selection of Lewis was more of a surprise, and was actually contributed to by Gallen's injury meaning Daley wanted two props on the bench to help cover Gallen's workload.
He has handed a debut to Bulldogs giant David Klemmer on the bench and back-rower Josh Jackson in the starting lock role, recalling in-form tackle-buster Andrew Fifita and Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce as a five-eighth in place of Josh Reynolds, with Pearce to line up alongside last year's halfback Trent Hodkinson.
Josh Dugan takes over from Jarryd Hayne at the back with Josh Morris fit again and able to take his place in the centres, and Eels centre Will Hopoate taking the contended wing spot ahead of Kangaroos flanker Alex Johnston and Canberra fullback Jack Wighton.
Maroons coach Mal Meninga has largely stuck solid with the side that came roaring back last year to swamp the Blues in the Game III dead rubber. Matt Scott missed that one with injury while bench utility Daly Cherry-Evans will miss this one with injury while Ben Te'o (European rugby) and Josh Papalii (not selected) are the only others to have made way. The 18th and 19th men from that game, Josh McGuire and Michael Morgan, will make their Origin debuts to start this series off.
While the Blues had some early disruptions to their squad with Gallen and Bird being ruled out, it's been nothing but smooth sailing since the side was actually named. It has been the polar opposite for their opposition however; both centres, Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges, have hardly trained while fullback Billy Slater has had injury concerns and utility Daly Cherry-Evans was named and joined camp before being ruled out with an arm injury and replaced by Morgan.
Inglis in particular is of concern, having been hospitalised with a virus, while Hodges (cut foot) and Slater (shoulder) are not thought to be in doubt for Wednesday.
Watch out NSW: Queensland built a dynasty on professional, relentless, close-to-perfect football. In fact, since 2004, when the bones of the all-conquering outfit were making their way into the Origin arena in the form of Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Billy Slater, the Maroons have absolutely lapped the Blues when it comes to mistake-free footy. In terms of best completion rates across a series in those 11 years, the Queenslanders have the top three efforts, five of the top six and 10 of the top 13. Their best effort was 83.4 per cent of sets completed in their victorious 2013 campaign, and completed at over 80 per cent five times: 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013 and last year. Conversely the Blues have completed over 80 per cent just once in that time, 82.6 per cent in 2012.
With the potency of Queensland's backline and relentlessness of their forward pack they have been more than capable of capitalising on the possession their superior ball handling has given them.
Experience could also be a factor: the Maroons have used just five halves combinations since 2006 to the Blues 16 and have a total of 268 games experience compared to the Blues' 106.
Watch out Queensland: With a fairly greasy and heavy track expected at ANZ on Wednesday, the Blues have named a monster forward pack with a bench weighing in at around 44 kilograms heavier than that of their rivals.
Sticking to a game plan, they managed to win the grind in the opening two games last year and statistics indicate this has been the approach for the Blues over a long period, playing a far less expansive brand of football than their opponents over the past decade.
In the past three years, the Blues have passed from the hooker to an interchange player 218 times; for the Maroons it is just 125. Conversely the Queenslanders have passed from the hooker to the half or five eighth far more than the Blues, indicating NSW play a far more limited one-out style of footy relying on forward hit ups while Queensland have been more expansive. Given the expected conditions and the team NSW have picked, we can expect them to be doing their best to batter the Queenslanders and sap their strength.
Given this backdrop, could the Maroons' ageing roster be a factor? Their average age of 28.4 makes them the oldest side in Origin history while the Blues at 25.4 will have some fresher legs.
Key Match-Up: A lifetime of watching Origin tells us this one will be won, as always, in the forwards. But it can be lost anywhere so the key match up here is the two halves pairings. We just know that if the Maroons pack gets their side in range, Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston have what it takes to capitalise. With no Jarryd Hayne, it will be up to Mitch Pearce and Trent Hodkinson to take advantage of any opportunities the side gets in good position. Their combined stats after 10 games (none of the four has missed a game yet in 2015) make interesting reading.
The Maroons playmakers have a slight 17-15 edge in try assists and 15-12 in line break assists. Their running game has been far superior, with a combined 221 runs to the Blues halves 144 and combined average 146 metres against 99 metres. They have a 25-16 advantage in tackle breaks and have scored four tries against one. They kick the ball more: 240 kicks in general play to the Blues halves 191. They handle the ball more with 1,143 receives to 937.
Keeping with the overall theme of how each side is expected to play, the Blues halves have the defensive edge with 417 made tackles to 324 with only one extra miss. Pearce's 18 offloads hand the Blues pair a 20-9 advantage in that stat while for what it's worth the Maroons playmakers have had more field goal practice this year, slotting five one-pointers against one (to Hodkinson) for the Blues.
The History: Played 102; NSW 46, QLD 54, Drawn 2. Despite Queensland's eight years of dominance there still isn't a huge gap in the overall figures. They have only outscored the Blues in terms of overall points by 1,675 to 1,570. They also haven't had a great deal of success at ANZ Stadium, having won just six of 21 games (with one draw) and one of their past five at the venue.
Match Officials: Gerard Sutton & Ben Cummins; touch judges: Nick Beashel & Brett Suttor; Video Referees: Bernard Sutton & Luke Patten.
Televised: Channel Nine, Live, 7.30pm
The Way We See It: As ever in Origin, this is incredibly tough to tip. The Blues' youth, size and enthusiasm versus the Maroons' incredible wealth of Origin experience and almost telepathic communication from so many games played together. The Blues will be looking to win it on defence while the Maroons will be hoping a clinical all-round game will crack the blue wall open. We're not reading too much into Queensland's supposedly disrupted preparation, but at home and with Laurie Daley again the master of his domain we'll tip the Blues to grab a low-scoring arm wrestle by two points.
Toads
Captain
Probably wouldn't hurt to use Refs from overseas, ones that are prepared to let a fair bit slide. Some European Union Refs are great at turning a blind eye and let a match progress the way it should naturally.
I don't side with Benny Elias too often, but I do agree with a article he had published last week that was suggesting the NRL lay off a bit and let the lads get on with it. I think he nailed it with what he said.
I don't side with Benny Elias too often, but I do agree with a article he had published last week that was suggesting the NRL lay off a bit and let the lads get on with it. I think he nailed it with what he said.
DIEHARD
Administrator
QLD to win by 18 points. Enjoy
DIEHARD
Administrator
Hopefully the Maroons can get in front and stay there in the 2nd half.