Laurie Daley and the NSW Blues are firmly focused on the Origin II and the Maroons

A LOT of people might want to dwell on what happened with Blake Ferguson at the start of the week but the NSW Blues have moved on.

SOMEONE asked me yesterday how the week in camp had been for the Blues.

Without even thinking back to the start of the week, I said: "It's been great."

The bloke laughed at me and said: "C'mon, Loz, how has it really been?"

I told him again: "It's been great, why?"

I'd completely forgotten about what went on earlier this week because for the past few days it hasn't even rated a mention with us.

A lot of other people might want to dwell on what happened with Blake Ferguson at the start of the week but the players and staff moved on from that long ago.

We leave for Brisbane tomorrow and I truly believe we will go up there ready to perform to the best of our ability. That is all I or anyone can ask of these players.

While the camp hasn't been without some adversity, the way the players have handled themselves makes me tremendously proud to be a part of this group.

To give you an insight into how the week unfolded, the first I heard about the problem facing Blake was on the Monday morning when I arrived at the team hotel in Coogee.

Our media manager Tristan Hay informed me that there had been an incident involving Blake on the Sunday night. To be honest with you, it did cause some disruption on the Monday when the players first gathered in camp because we were all in the dark at that stage and it was not an ideal way to start the week.

But we dealt with it as best we could and left it to the NRL's Integrity Unit to decide the appropriate action as they did their investigation into the allegations that were made against Blake.

I got the players together in my room on the Monday evening and I simply told them that, as a group, we couldn't allow the investigation to disrupt our focus. It was decided Blake had to leave camp to return to Canberra and so on the Tuesday morning I decided Nathan Merritt would get the call up in his place.

You talk about a bloke living the dream. Nathan was smiling when he arrived at Coogee and I don't think he's stopped smiling since.

It makes you feel good just to be around him. When I decided Nathan would replace Blake I tried to call him but I couldn't get hold of him.

So I got in contact with Mark Ellison from Souths who told Nathan he had an hour to get to Coogee for the photo scheduled for 10am.

I was so happy to see him sitting there in the front row of his first State of Origin team photo.

If you caught a glimpse of the TV interviews he did that night you'd understand what this means to him.

Let me assure you, Nathan won't let anyone down.

I've got to say since those frantic few hours on the Monday everything has gone pretty smooth since.

We've had a couple of players nursing niggling injuries throughout the week but you expect that with any team at this time of the season.

The good news for NSW is Choc Watmough trained with us yesterday and I expect him to be close to 100 per cent when we regroup in camp tomorrow. That is when we will have our main training session of the week before we fly to Brisbane.

Choc is one tough customer and sitting out a few sessions this week is no big deal for him and it certainly doesn't worry me.

All week we've purposely focused on ourselves, not Queensland, because at the end of the day our performance is what we have control over. We know Queensland will improve on their performance in game one and we have to do the same.I know they can't wait to get up there and embrace what is sure to be a lively atmosphere.

We will head to Brisbane with the utmost respect for Queensland - but I believe in our boys.

They are ready to do NSW proud.

Go the Blues.