NRL great PAUL GALLEN will appear on Nine’s 100% FOOTY every Monday night of the NRL season, debating rugby league’s hottest topics alongside Phil Gould and James Bracey. Tune in LIVE at 7.30pm (AEST) on 9Now tonight following a bumper round 18!
I think New South Wales should be really confident heading up to Brisbane for the State of Origin decider.
We all know the statistics about how hard it is to win at Suncorp Stadium, let alone in a series decider.
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But I’m sure the Blues have prepared well and will be raring to go on the night.
We were dominant in game two in Melbourne and should take a lot of confidence from that.
That being said, I remember the 2015 series when we dominated game two, then went up to Brisbane and they absolutely hammered us 52-6.
That Maroons team was stacked with guys like Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, and Cooper Cronk.
This is a different Queensland team now, and it’s a very different NSW side.
I look at the talent across both line-ups – particularly in the forward packs and on the bench – and I reckon the Blues are too strong and too powerful to be dusted up like we were in 2015.
There will be a bit of bounce-back factor from Queensland but the team doesn’t have the guys that it did nine years ago.
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I’d say the Maroons will be breathing a sigh of relief that Latrell Mitchell won’t be there on Wednesday night, though.
Latrell absolutely monstered them in Melbourne, pushing blokes over and running over the top of them with arrogance. It was great to watch.
I think the Queenslanders are too proud to discuss that specifically, but there will be a few guys in that team very thankful Latrell is out injured.
But the Blues still have guys like Angus Crichton, Payne Haas, Cameron Murray, and Jake Trbojevic who will be ready to go toe to toe with the Maroons.
Dane Gagai of the Maroons throws a punch at Matt Burton of the Blues while he is held by Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. Nine
The Queensland coaching staff might be sending some subliminal messages to their guys about standing up for themselves after being bullied at the MCG.
I’m not saying any coach would tell their players to go out and start a fight – that never happened once during my career and it’s pretty foolish to start a game with that mindset nowadays.
But the Maroons will want revenge from Melbourne and in the heat of battle you never know, someone might just step over the mark.
Part of me wonders if that’s a reason Dane Gagai is back in the Queensland side.
He is a guy who will never take a backwards step.
Gagai punched on with Matt Burton during the 2022 series and it worked for the Maroons – both players were sin binned and they won the game.
I still can’t quite figure out how Burton got binned for that – he had at least three blokes on him and you have to be allowed to defend yourself.
Matt Burton of the Blues is sent to the sin bin by referee Ashley Klein. Getty
Hopefully if it kicks off again on Wednesday the referee will do the sensible thing and just bin the guy who starts it, not the one defending himself.
I don’t know if Queensland will be looking for a fight but if it worked for them two years ago, it would not surprise me to see it happen again.
It all adds to the theatre of Origin and that’s why people love it.
The Blues probably won’t be allowed to dominate the game like they did last time – it will come down to hard work.
I have full faith in Michael Maguire and his men to bring the shield home to where it belongs.