KEY QUESTIONS AHEAD OF THE STATE OF ORIGIN SERIES OPENER
* WILL THE BLUES’ ROOKIES GAMBLE PAY OFF?
NSW have selected the most debutants in State of Origin history, with the 39 games of Origin experience in their squad the lowest of any team since 1984. Queensland proved it can be done when 10 rookies flogged NSW 34-16 in the opening game of 2001, and Brad Fittler will hope his no-scars approach works similar wonders.
* CAN QUEENSLAND’S NEW FACES LIVE UP TO PAST HEIGHTS?
No one is expecting Cameron Munster, Ben Hunt and Andrew McCullough to work the kind of wonders usually associated with Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith, but they must come close. Queensland’s success has been built on the back of their all-star spine, and the series opener is the biggest glimpse into the future yet.
* DO NSW HAVE A WAY TO STOP QUEENSLAND’S BACK LINE?
While a number of their big names are gone, Queensland still have four of Australia’s back five from last year’s World Cup plus Greg Inglis at their disposal. James Roberts and Latrell Mitchell are great attacking threats in the centres, but stopping the Maroons’ all-star attack is a completely different challenge.
* IS NATHAN CLEARY READY FOR STATE OF ORIGIN?
Nathan Cleary has been a superstar in the making since his NRL debut but few halves have succeeded in Origin at the age of 20. Just two weeks after coming back from a knee injury, Cleary will become the youngest half to play for the Blues since Mitchell Pearce in 2008. And it’s no secret how throwing him in that early hurt him.
* WILL GOALKICKING PROVE CRUCIAL?
NSW have the two most accurate goalkickers in the NRL and three of the best eight in their team, while the Maroons don’t even have a first-choice kicker in their 17. Valentine Holmes is likely to take the reins, but even he admitted this week he would find the task nerve-racking. Telling when considered eight games have been decided by two points or less during Queensland’s dominant run over the past 12 years.
