Why Origin III is crucial for NSW Blues

IN A last minute change, Blues coach Laurie Daley has thrown a lifeline to one of his young stars ahead of Origin III.

MATT Moylan, not Jack Bird, will start in the halves for NSW in Wednesday night’s State of Origin III at ANZ Stadium.

Blues coach Laurie Daley announced on Tuesday that Bird would start in the spot left vacant by injury to Adam Reynolds, with Moylan to come off the bench and replace him.

But it appears Daley may have been foxing.

However assistant coach Matt Parish confirmed on Wednesday morning that Moylan, who has played just 20 minutes at No.6 in his NRL career at Penrith, would come into the starting side.

“I don’t think it really matters who might play there, but I think the other guy might start,” said Parish.

He indicated the decision to bench the Cronulla youngster came down to his ability to cover numerous positions in the case of an injury.

Matt Moylan is set to start in the halves.

“He’s a good young player Jack Bird and we just think he covers a few more positions whether it’s everywhere in the backline and possibly the back row,” he said.

“Whereas Moyza (Moylan) is predominantly a fullback who can play in the halves.”

Regardless, the mind games have confused Queensland, with assistant coach Trevor Gillmeister earlier saying they still believed Jack Bird would begin the game.

“We think Jack Bird will start there,” Gillmeister told Sky Sports Radio.

“It’s no big deal but we’re probably thinking Bird will start.”

‘THE FUTURE STARTS NOW’

LAURIE Daley will have one final message for NSW ahead of State of Origin III as the Blues desperately attempt to avoid a clean sweep: the future starts now.

With the Blues seeking to recover from another Queensland series victory, their 10th in 11 years, Daley will blood his ninth and 10th rookie for the past two seasons in bench back-rower Wade Graham and fullback James Tedesco.

The Blues are determined to send retiring skipper Paul Gallen out a winner at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday but they will do so with one eye firmly on the future.

Long-serving rake Robbie Farah could also be playing his final Origin game, veteran centre Michael Jennings might be in the same boat and Greg Bird will unlikely play for the Blues again after being overlooked for game three.

Canterbury centre Josh Morris, who was a key figure in the Blues drought-breaking series win in 2014, is another who could be passed over in 2017.

Daley is contracted with the NSWRL until the end of the 2017 series and in the final three years of his tenure he will have overseen one of the most dramatic squad overhauls in Blues history.

Your NSW VB Blues have been training their whole lives for this.

The future begins now.#uptheblues pic.twitter.com/Q5X5XNXLDb

— NSW Blues (@NSWRL) July 12, 2016

Game two debutants Tyson Frizell and Jack Bird showed they have the potential to be key parts of Blues sides well into the future. But Daley knows a win in game three is vital to start off on the right foot in 2017.

“We have gradually started to have a lot of change in our side since 2014,” Daley said.

“And again last year we stated to make some huge changes and at the end of this series there will be a couple more that may or may not go on.

“For us it is about going out there and playing some really good football. We haven’t played anywhere near out potential and we have been close (on the scoreboard) — that is what excites me.

“If we do win it will give us some optimism moving into next year.”

BLUES’ ULTIMATE MOTIVATION

Josh McGuire labelled the Blues “losers” after Game 2.

Queensland have done plenty of talking during the State of Origin series, but NSW are intent on having the last say.

The Maroons have had every reason to celebrate so far as they claimed their 10th series win in 11 years last month.

But it is what the Blues see as a lack of humility and arrogance in those celebrations that have provided NSW with all the motivation they need ahead of Wednesday’s game three dead rubber at ANZ Stadium.

Blues prop Andrew Fifita was incensed as a number of Maroons players, including Johnathan Thurston, Corey Parker and Josh McGuire verbally abused him following their series clinching game two triumph in Brisbane.

McGuire subsequently took to Twitter to label the Blues “losers”, a move that had also got under the Blues’ skin considering it was the Brisbane prop’s first series win and his maiden run on appearance.

A screen-shot of a tweet posted by Queensland's prop Josh McGuire.

Ahead of his final Origin game, retiring Blues skipper Paul Gallen labelled Queenslanders as “bad winners”.

Blues coach Laurie Daley has declined to become involved in the pre-match barbs, but hinted at extra motivation provided by the Maroons as NSW attempt to avoid a 3-0 series clean sweep.

“That is all part of the fun and games of Origin,” Daley said

“When you are on top you can say what you want, when you lose you just have to cop it and accept it and move on.

“We need to go out there on Wednesday night and have a red hot crack and we might have something to say about it afterwards.”

Originally published as Why Origin III is crucial for NSW Blues