Preview: Blues v Maroons

VENUE & TIME: ANZ Stadium, Wednesday - 20.00 AEST
COVERAGE: Channel 9
LAST TIME: NSW 18 - Queensland 4, Suncorp Stadium, July 4, 2007

WALKING WOUNDED: The Maroons will be without inspirational skipper Darren Lockyer but his omission was no surprise given his injury-riddled start to the season. Normally a full-back, Karmichael Hunt will play five-eighth in what some might say is a risky move by the Maroons. The Blues have had an injury-free lead-in, with Luke Lewis called in as 18th man in case of any last-minute dramas.

FORM: Queensland has won the past two series but NSW was a clear winner the last time the sides met. As Blues selector and league legend Bob Fulton rightly points out, NSW may not have won a series since 2005 but they haven't been as far off the mark as some think. With two games in Sydney this year and new coach Craig Bellamy calling the shots, the Cockroaches more than fancy their chances of reclaiming the crown.
Queensland wears favouritism as comfortably as a Gold Coast surfie in a three-piece suit. They would much rather be the underdog going into this one.

WHO'S HOT: Israel Folau is the closest we will see to a human flying. NSW fans still want to know why he's not in a Blue jumper, given he grew up in Sydney's south-west. Knowing he is going to stalk them for the next decade only adds to the pain.
It won't be possible to keep Folau quiet for 80 minutes on Wednesday night. The best NSW can hope for is to restrict his effectiveness, especially when those cross-field bombs come raining down on Jarryd Hayne.

WE THINK: Those with New South Wales blood coursing through their veins have made the same mistake time and time again over the years, writing Queensland off before a ball has been kicked in Origin. This time the shoe - white in colour given we're talking about the Cane Toads - is on the other foot, with the star-studded Maroons expected to win the series for the third year running. Every time you try and find ways NSW can win Origin I, your eyes are drawn back towards the Maroons' back-line, which just drips with talent and speed. Queensland by 4.