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Michael Maguire deserves a lot of praise for making an important change to his line-up when the easy thing would have been to stick with the same team for the State of Origin decider.
After dominating the Maroons in Melbourne, I was concerned Maguire might have rested on his laurels and taken an unchanged side to Suncorp Stadium – barring Bradman Best coming in for the injured Latrell Mitchell.
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But Madge showed some steel in dropping Haumole Olakau’atu and bringing Mitch Barnett onto his bench for game three.
He knows in Origin you can’t just do the same thing and expect the same result from game to game.
Queensland is going to be a lot better in Brisbane than they were last time, and New South Wales has to get better or risk losing a third straight series.
Haumole Olakau’atu has been dropped by Michael Maguire. Getty
You have to continually adapt and strengthen your team, and that’s what Madge has done by making this change.
He might spin it a different way – and that’s his prerogative – but the truth is Olakau’atu hasn’t been playing that well.
I actually asked someone after game two if Olakau’atu had even been on the field, because I didn’t notice him. It turns out he did come on, but only made two runs.
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And at club level he missed a pretty crucial tackle on Reuben Cotter on Saturday – luckily Manly beat the Cowboys in extra time, but it was a bad moment for such a quality player.
Olakau’atu is a damaging player at his best but he just hasn’t been at that level recently.
My hat goes off to Barnett – he could not have done anything more to earn an Origin debut.
Only three or four years ago I thought he was a player who looked a bit angry on the field, and he was always trying to prove how tough he was but going about it the wrong way.
But he has taken his game to a new level this year with the Warriors and he has not left any stone unturned in trying to get into this Blues team.
You can see how much Barnett wanted to get into the team and it’s a credit to him that he will make his Origin debut next week.
He’s been in great form for the Warriors and I just want to see him bring that for NSW.
He is a naturally aggressive player and will be a good addition.
Warriors forward Mitch Barnett. Getty
Well done to Madge for making the switch – I like the look of this line-up.
Barnett makes our middle even stronger and we are going to need all those guys to stand up again at Suncorp.
Queensland would have been embarrassed by the way the Blues dominated the middle in Melbourne and you can be sure the Maroons will be fired up for the decider.
None of the Queensland forwards could match it with our aggression and physicality. It was a great performance by the Blues, but like I said we can’t expect that to just happen again.
The change that makes me nervous is Kalyn Ponga coming into the Maroons’ side.
I still remember his Origin debut six years ago, when he came off the bench in Sydney and played lock for Queensland, and was dynamite.
He’s such a quality player and you can put him anywhere on the field.
I was surprised they didn’t bring David Fifita into the team to be honest – they lacked some punch in Melbourne and Fifita is a dangerous player.
But whoever lines up for the Maroons they should be prepared for a Blues onslaught in Brisbane.