State of Origin 2018: NSW players set the scene to walk to ANZ Stadium on Sunday night

THEY talked the talk in game one. Now NSW are ready to rewrite the Origin rule book again, consulting with police to see if they can walk the 200m from their hotel to ANZ Stadium on Sunday night.

The Blues keep their feet on the ground for game one. (Brett Costello)

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THE Blues have practised walking into State of Origin history.

Drawing on the energy and atmosphere of 82,000 Blues fans, the entire NSW side used Saturday to assess the viability of walking the 200m from their team hotel to ANZ Stadium for Sunday night’s blockbuster.

No NSW side has ever walked from their Sydney Olympic Park team hotel to ANZ Stadium, which is why Blues coach Brad Fittler will only ditch the normal bus route if security and police allow the decision.

The Blues keep their feet on the ground for game one. (Brett Costello)

The short walk past the public would be similar to what the Blues experienced in Melbourne — where they surprised many by walking to the MCG.

Such was the positive reaction from the NSW players and coaching staff — who embraced the unorthodox MCG build-up by using their feet instead of a bus — that a similar mode of arrival, is being discussed by Fittler and his team.

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In an obvious dress-rehearsal, the Blues walked from the Pullman Hotel at Sydney Olympic Park to their captains run at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.

hey strolled to the eastern side of the stadium where they would enter the arena, if NSW team management give the unorthodox arrival the green light.

The Blues try out the pre-Origin track. (Sam Ruttyn)

Once inside the stadium, the players would be ferried by 20-seat golf buggies through the stadium’s internal tunnel system.

The entire team would then be dropped off at the home dressing rooms on the western side of the stadium.

Fittler and his team will make a final call on if they’ll walk later on Sunday.

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Originally published as State of Origin 2018: NSW players set the scene to walk to ANZ Stadium on Sunday night