Blues adviser Greg Alexander says NSW will show faith by picking the same 17 from Origin opener
BARRING suspension or injury, NSW will retain the same 17 stars who dominated Queensland in game one for State of Origin II in Sydney.
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BARRING suspension or injury, NSW will retain the same 17 stars who dominated Queensland in game one for State of Origin II in Sydney.
“I can’t see any changes,” Blues adviser Greg Alexander told The Daily Telegraph on Monday night.
“Everyone did a great job but they have another round footy to go. All the players were terrific last Wednesday night.
“We don’t want to thinking about who might be there — we just have to get through another round.”
NSW will announce their team on Sunday, and an unchanged line-up will be even more crucial given there is just a seven-day turnaround before Origin II the following Sunday.
More than 60,000 seats have been sold for the ANZ Stadium clash with an 82,000 sellout expected by kick-off.
NSW are desperate to avoid having to travel to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane to win a decider.
“The young blokes now know what an Origin game is all about,” Alexander said.
“In the sheds after the game, the young players who hadn’t experienced Origin before, just couldn’t believe the speed of the game.
“It was end-to-end — and exhausting, physical game. There were no stoppages.
“They know what to expect now.”
All Blues players came through weekend NRL matches uninjured and unscathed.
NSW went one-up after their stunning 22-12 win over Queensland at the MCG last Wednesday night.
It has placed the Blues just 80 minutes from a historic series victory on Sunday week.
However NSW know how quickly State of Origin can spin on its head.
NSW led one-nil last year and then 16-6 during Origin II in Sydney before losing late and then getting beaten in the decider in Brisbane.
It broke a state’s heart.
“I am sure the players realise that,” Alexander said.
All four of St George Illawarra’s Origin representatives — Jack de Belin, Paul Vaughan, Tyson Frizell and Ben Hunt — backed up against Canterbury yesterday at ANZ Stadium.
So too did Bulldogs prop David Klemmer.
Queensland have a history of conjuring success when failure looms. The Maroons will start the Sydney match as heavy underdogs — a position they enjoy.
Kick off on Sunday week will be at 7.45pm, earlier than the usual 8.10pm start.