State of Origin 2017: Queensland look to continue Blues 12 year decider drought

THE last time the Blues won a decider John Howard was still Prime Minister and YouTube was just getting off the ground.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA — JULY 08: Josh Dugan of the Blues looks dejected during game three of the State of Origin series between the Queensland Maroons and the New South Wales Blues at Suncorp Stadium on July 8, 2015 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

JOHN Howard was Prime Minister, Lance Armstrong was the most revered figure in world sport and a video website called YouTube was created.

Welcome to 2005 — the last time New South Wales won a State of Origin decider.

That’s right, the boys in blue have not won a series deciding match since.

Queensland kicked off its eight-straight dynasty under the reign of Mal Meninga in 2006 and won five deciders during that period.

When the Blues finally cracked Queensland’s stranglehold it was by winning the first two games of the 2014 series.

Queensland bounced back with an emphatic 52-6 win — the biggest victory in Origin history — in the 2015 decider and won last year’s series within two matches.

The Blues have lost their last six deciders.

The Blues will start favourites in Wednesday’s decider at Suncorp Stadium but recent history shows they have a mountain to climb to stop Queensland winning its third straight series.

Still, Maroons captain Cameron Smith is refusing to admit Queensland has a psychological advantage over the Blues when it comes to crunch games.

“I don’t think so. I don’t believe it does,” he said.

“Last year was last year and the year before that is gone. This year it’s all about this match on Wednesday night.

“It doesn’t matter what’s gone on in the past, or the history of this side. It’s about focusing on what we can do Wednesday and that’s really all.

“I’d like to think with the way we’ve gone about this week and how well we’ve trained, we’ve got a good opportunity to win it.”

The difference between the sides over the years has been Queensland’s big players delivering on the big stage in high-pressure scenarios.

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The Maroons will be without Johnathan Thurston (shoulder) for the decider along with Darius Boyd (broken thumb), Matt Scott (knee) and Greg Inglis (knee).

Fullback Billy Slater is expected to play his first Origin in Brisbane since 2014 despite suffering an ankle injury on Sunday.

Slater’s last Origin at Suncorp Stadium was the 2014 dead-rubber and he is itching to run out in front of a packed house for a decider.

“I haven’t played here since 2014,” he said.

“I know what the atmosphere is like in an Origin game at Suncorp.

“I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great game. It’s as even a State of Origin series as I’ve ever been involved in.”

The Maroons have been decimated by injuries this series, lost Game One 28-4 and will have blooded eight new players in 2017 come tomorrow night.

But Smith believes they have the cattle to continue NSW’s misery and rack up Queensland’s 11th series win in 12 years.

It’s been 12 years since the Blues won a decider.

“We were disappointed in our performance in Game One,” he said.

“We haven’t put together an 80-minute performance this series and that’s what’s needed in Game Three.

“If we deliver that then hopefully that results in a victory for us.

“We know what’s needed for this game and we don’t want to see any disappointed faces on people at Suncorp.

“I’d like to think that we’ll go out and make the people at Suncorp and everyone watching at home in Queensland proud of our effort.”