Wresting control back from Queensland after eight years of State of Origin humiliation is no small task.
And it’s one which NSW have entrusted a monster forward pack with as they ain to blast their opponents out of the contest with a superior pack.
In fact, the Blues boast the game’s hardest working forwards – on both sides of the ball.
Nobody in the NRL has made more tackles than Blues rake Robbie Farah, who sits alone at the top having brought down 457 ball-runners – a dozen more than his opposite, Cameron Smith.
But the Blues also boast the NRL’s two most metre-hungry forwards, with Cronulla pair Paul Gallen (165.9 metres per game) and Andrew Fifita (151.4m) ready to do much of the grunt work for rookie coach Laurie Daley.
Both dwarf the workrate of Queensland’s most reliable metre-eater, North Queensland prop Matt Scott who is averaging a terrific 147m a game.
His club teammate, but rival on Wednesday night, James Tamou sits just behind with 146m per game – far ahead of the remaining Queensland forwards, none of whom top more than 120m on average.
It all adds up to a sizeable advantage up front, where champion NSW backrower Nathan Hindmarsh believes the Blues have found their edge over Queensland.
“If we’re going to win it will be through our forwards,” Hindmarsh told AAP.
“As important as a strong kicking game will be, our forwards will be the ones who set the platform. And I think we’ve got the side to do that.”
The selection of skipper Gallen in the front row allows NSW to bench big bopper Fifita for impact later in the game, in theory giving the Blues a fearsome pack throughout the 80 minute contest.
Sitting alongside Fifita on the bench to start the match is one of the game’s most damaging backrower – Anthony Watmough.
But he will be held back from the opening stages of the clash, with Daley preferring the qualities of Luke Lewis, Greg Bird and Ryan Hoffman as his starting backrow.
“I’m happy with Gal at prop. I like the look of our forward pack a lot, especially the bench,” Hindmarsh added.
“I think the good thing about them, as big as they are they’re still mobile as well – Fifita especially.
“He’s quite an awkward player to have to tackle. I think he’ll be a bit of a handful for the Queenslanders.”
Queensland legend Darren Lockyer said he had no concerns about the Maroons pack, despite going into the clash without a specialist front-rower on the bench.
“They’ve chosen to go with more mobile backrowers, and I think that is a sensible option,” Lockyer told AAP.
“On this field mobility on the edges is crucial. And there’s two guys, even though they’re wearing 11 (Sam Thaiday) and 12 (Nate Myles) who actually play prop at club level.”
Lockyer also quickly dismissed suggestions that the Queensland team, which is the oldest of all time with an average age bordering on 29, is getting too old.
The Blues, by contrast, are roughly three years younger across the board, but Lockyer points out there are some advantages that come with age.
“Experience helps at this level, that’s one thing people seem to forget,” the veteran of 36 Origins said.
“There’s a few guys there getting on but they always do the job. And (coach Mal Meninga has) got one eye on the future and he’ll keep introducing guys he thinks can replace the elder statesmen.”
