Origin 1 Preview

Phil Gould once said that "Origin is a scary place."

He's right. Only the tough survive so unless you can make your mark on the contest and take the game by the scruff of the neck you will be on the wrong side of the scoreboard.

Origin has something special about it, an intangible you can't put your finger on. For whatever reason it just works.

The speed of the game alone is enough to spin you into a frenzy and then you start to see some of the super human efforts the players produce.

Robbie Farah producing 63 tackles last year was an enormous effort, Paul Gallen playing 80 minutes in game 2 2011 and producing 200+ metres and more than 30 tackles.

Origin is famous for men coming up with efforts not normally seen and the same will happen this year.

An image of Greg Bird being picked up by the Blues trainer with a minute to go because he was so physically exhausted summed up the 2012 series for me.

While these massive efforts are something of legend, the 1% plays will have a huge say in the result.

I am as passionate Blues supporter at this time of year but without any hesitation I say the Blues will win the series.

I do realise Queensland is arguably the greatest team ever assembled but the quality of the Blues team can match them across the park.

The NSW forward pack is in my view a cut above the Queensland pack and I think they have gone in a big man too short when in the past they have relied on the likes of Civoniceva and Price to cart the ball forward.

Here are some of my game breakers.

The Forwards
Paul Gallen in the front row for the Blues is the right call for the side and I think it is his best position.

Greg Bird will play tighter to the ruck and might cause some headaches for the likes of Shillington and Scott in the early exchanges with his fast feet and aggression.

Luke Lewis and Anthony Watmough will cause similar headaches when they get their chance.

The big factors for the Blues pack will be Robbie Farah and Andrew Fifita when he gets on the field.

Farah single-handedly got the Tigers over the Cowboys in horrific conditions a few weeks back at Leichhardt.

He provided great composure and leadership to guide the young Tigers to victory.

His performance with the left boot and defensively suggest his game has gone to another level since he got back in the Origin fold last season. If NSW win you can almost expect Farah to be man of the match or damn near close to it.

Fifita is the one of the most damaging ball runners I have seen in a long time. For a man his size he defies logic in terms of what he can do on the field for a big man.

He consistently runs for 200m and makes 25 plus tackles. During a pre-season time trial run over 1.6km at the Sharks only Beau Ryan beat him which gives you an indication of how fit he is.

The Backs
The outside backs are all in form and have pace to burn. If they get their defensive structures right then the attacking aspect of their game will be taken care of.

Jennings has been outstanding since changing clubs and getting himself in the right frame of mind. Expect him to play well on Wednesday night.

Blake Ferguson is an enigma and does some unbelievably freakish things on a football field. Big, strong, fast and confidence to burn makes him a difficult prospect for the opposition. He will step up to the occasion.

Josh Morris has the job of containing Greg Inglis and will do his state proud. He did a terrific job last year and will do the same again. Queensland will not want to give him much space because he will make the most of it.

The Halves
Its simple for them. The foundation laid by the forwards needs to be capitalised on by Pearce and Maloney. This means repeat sets and providing quality ball for their outside men. They will determine how many points the Blues win by.