Andrew Johns says “guerilla warfare” is likely the reason New South Wales moved away from its “spiritual home” ahead of the State of Origin opener.
New Blues coach Michael Maguire has taken his squad west to hunker down in the Blue Mountains to prepare for game one in Sydney.
Journalists have noticed a stark difference to typical Origin camps.
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The Blues are normally based in Coogee in Sydney’s east, and train at Coogee Oval in full view of the public – and eagle-eyed media.
At their Blue Mountains training base, journalists have been allowed to watch about 15 minutes of warm-up before being booted out. The NSW players then train in privacy.
Zac Lomax looks on at the team photo during a New South Wales Blues State of Origin media opportunity. Getty
It’s led to intrigue from reporters who were forced to ask a cagey Brian To’o on Tuesday whether halfback Nicho Hynes had been able to train with the team.
But what the media don’t know, the Maroons also can’t find out.
“It’s siege mentality isn’t it? Surprise attack, guerilla warfare,” Johns told Wide World of Sports’ Immortal Behavior.
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“I can see the logic in Madge (Maguire) taking the team up to the Blue Mountains, because there’s no real distractions.
“You can’t duck off to Bondi Junction, or go to the movies, or go for a surf.
“They’ve got to live in each other’s pockets. The big key word nowadays is connection – they get that connection in a short period of time.”
The Blues have ventured into the mountains during previous camps, and have also dabbled with basing themselves further outside Sydney.
They’ve gone to Kingscliff in past years when preparing for games in Brisbane, but a review in 2022 found Coogee was where the team was best suited.
Origin fans have also delighted in seeing the superstars walking around Sydney’s eastern beaches in the days leading up to games.
“I’m a bit biased, because I see Coogee as our spiritual home,” Johns said.
“Even as a kid watching, you would see them in camp… that great era of the early 90s, you would see them in the build-up in Coogee.
“Then when you got the opportunity you were like ‘I’m following in their footsteps’.
“But it’s a new idea and let’s see how it goes.”
The 2024 Origin series kicks off at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night.