Glenn Stewart did the right thing by NSW when he ruled himself out of Origin I

GLENN Stewart won't be picked for NSW tonight. And that's a good thing for NSW.

Glenn Stewart

GLENN Stewart won't be picked for NSW tonight. And that's a good thing for NSW.

Before I tell you why, let me tell you about last year, when he was ruled out for game three in what was one of the most important games in Origin history.

After six straight years, we were on the verge of ending Queensland's run and, while we were ultimately unsuccessful, going down by a point, that changed nothing in the lead-up.

The players could sense the moment in front of them, and then Glenn got injured.

NSW Origin squad

The knowledge of what he was losing could be seen in his eyes. He was hurting. He knew the significance of what was ahead. But he was also important to the NSW squad, so I asked, him, if his club was OK, with it, whether he would stay in camp.

Even away from football he was good for the camp, he knew what it was about, and the players wanted him around. In a strange way, though, I also knew it was good for them to see that hurt, if only to realise what Origin means to some players, and the opportunity they now had.

There is a reason Origin is so special to us - to the fans and the game - and that only multiplies among the players that get what Origin is about. It is the rarest football in the world. A formula that has been tried around the world, succeeding only in the NRL.

Glenn gets Origin.

And that's why his loss is significant. He won't be picked tonight because he has told NSW coach Laurie Daley that he doesn't believe he could make it through the game.

It is one of the most selfless acts I have ever seen from a footballer. I can tell you for a fact that in previous years players have passed their medicals and taken their place in the team when they were in no condition to give their very best performance.

It goes without saying the team suffered for it, and the difficulty is you can't come out and punish the player for doing so. Origin is a big lure, and some players convince themselves they will be OK and it's only afterward we can definitively see they were not.

Glenn's sacrifice shows a marked change in thinking. One of the big qualities I kept pushing on the players during my shift as coach was that they had to take ownership of their performance and of the team's success.

NSW can never be successful until the players buy in. Glenn's decision shows the job is complete.

I heard about it when Laurie called me on Wednesday to chat about Origin and the team he was picking.

Glenn was going to be in the back row, but Laurie told me that he had called and said he didn't want to be picked and let the team down.

We are where we have always wanted to be now. Players are putting the success of the Blues ahead of personal glory.

I know how tough he is and I have watched his performance in recent weeks and I have no doubt Glenn was fit enough to go out and get through an Origin game.

But in his own mind he would have been bluffing his way through, and he is too solid to do that. It wouldn't have been a performance he would have been satisfied with. So tonight Laurie will pick someone else in the backrow.

I reckon Laurie is the only person more happy than me to see Origin is finally here.

I asked him how he was going and he said he was constantly going over the team, reconsidering his options, trying to second guess his choices to see if there was something he had overlooked. When he told me he was happy with the team, though, my advice was simple. I told him to put the pen down.

Origin is about confidence as much as anything, and as a player Laurie was one of those players that walked with confidence. There's no reason he should change as a coach.

And players were like dogs, I said, they sniff confidence in you. And they can sniff a lack of confidence.

It is no different for players. That's why they will welcome Glenn back later in the series, and the team will benefit for it. You can never have enough class in your team.