Many people seem to forget that while Queensland have won seven series in a row, only three series have been won before game three (2007,2009,2010) with the rest all coming down to deciders. I don't know whether NSW fans just decide to dismiss their one win in those series, or as human nature goes, maybe we only remember the victors. Sometimes it has taken a bit of luck to wrap up the series...

For me, it means that despite Queensland having one of the greatest teams ever assembled, NSW have be able to compete and trouble Queensland on many occasions. The last two victories have come in Brisbane where Queensland have been able to find another gear under pressure thanks largely to their playing personnel, but also having a passionate bunch of Maroon supporters cheering their beloved team and abusing those in blue. This year, game three, the decider, the climax, the finale will be held in a sea of blue shirts and silly wigs. A true test.

In game two, we saw a Queensland display that was straight from Mal Meninga's white board. They executed everything they would have liked, which in turn put pressure on NSW to respond. They couldn't match the intensity and class that oozed from Cam Smith, Cooper Cronk and Jonathan Thurston's pores. The deciding factor this time around, will be whether Queensland can execute away from their fortress. They will know what is coming, can they absorb the pressure that NSW will put on them at the beginning? If they can come out of the opening battles unscathed, you would expect the play makers to take over and dictate proceedings.

We still have not seen the best of Billy Slater and Greg Inglis yet. Whether this worries Queensland because NSW have been able to shut them down, limiting their effect on the game, or they might have something up their sleeve, who knows really? But the more involved these two are, the greater their chances. We have seen G.I. go infield in search of the ball but most of his work has still been on the edge. However, a lot of the time the ball comes to the left, NSW push up and get in the face of either G.I. or Slater running the second man play. In game two, Queensland were fortunate that this style of defence was still employed and Thurston was able to wave his wand to set up Darius Boyd in the corner. Whether NSW employ the same tactics, with an up and in defence executed better by James McManus, or whether they decide to slide will be interesting. If they continue with an up and in style, they could effectively nullify the Queensland back line, but also leave themselves open to touches of class like a delicate kick or quality passing. I would expect that Queensland will try to fix up their attack with kicks in behind the wingers, to keep them on their heels, guessing what could come next.

The other key factor for me is the bench. In game two, Daly Cherry-Evans came on and had a pretty minimal impact. He appeared to be put on to give some guys a rest, not really offering anything. It will be interesting to see how Queensland use DCE this time around. Will he get his hands on the ball a bit more? Will he have more responsibility when he comes on? If so, he could unlock the Queensland back line as NSW centre their attention on Thurston and Cronk. Josh Papali'i came on and was solid for Queensland in game two. Expect him to be given more of a right to whack. He is the one bloke who can intimidate NSW with his size, aggression and mobility so I expect him to offer a lot when he comes on.

The Blues are a mystery for me. With Paul Gallen ruled out, Robbie Farah being named captain, Greg Bird's health still questioned, James Tamou returning, Boyd Cordner debuting and James McManus replacing Nathan Merritt, there are a lot of external factors that could de-rail their quest for an Origin title.

They do however, possess a forward pack that will at least match Queensland and could very realistically dominate them. With the return of James Tamou and Aaron Woods gaining a promotion, NSW have size. Gallen's a beast, but he's still kinda small. Tamou and Woods are simple front rowers. Get ball, see Maroon, hit Maroon hard type front rowers. This could be damaging for Queensland as NSW could win every physical battle through the middle. Add in the likes of a fresh Boyd Cordner and NSW have tough nuts in abundance. Cordner often plays in the middle for the Roosters and is an aggressive young man. Exactly what you need in a game three.

This counter acts one of the advantages NSW have had in recent times though. Mobility. It's clear they wanted more size with the loss of Gallen so they released Josh Reynolds. As much as I hate Reynolds (more than Mick Ennis), he would be gold coming on late in a half, ruffling a few feathers, pressuring the Queensland power brokers and darting in to gaps. Now they have to rely on their size to batter and bruise Queensland in to some sort of submission.

The only way NSW will win is if their halves Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney take the game by the balls and imprint their names into the history books. In game two, Maloney was a speed bump at best in defence so he will have to muscle up to ensure he's no easy pass for any Queenslander. In attack they have to dictate terms. Take a leaf out of Queensland's book. Kick early, chase hard and put pressure on them down their end of the field. Queensland will target these two and get off their line quickly to shut down their play making ability and limit their time when kicking. Robbie Farah will be huge as well as his left boot offers variety in terms of kicking angles and who is doing the kicking. Pearce has already said that if NSW loose, his head will be on the chopping block. This is true for both he and Maloney. Their job is simple; run the ball, kick smart and unleash the beasts outside of them. If they can tick those three boxes, then they will be able to control the game and its momentum on the back of a bit of home crowd support.

I really don't know who will take the money here. Both teams have upsides and downsides so it's anyone's game. Queensland will know what to expect coming to Sydney so there will be no surprises in terms of support for NSW. For Queensland it will depend on whether they can execute their tactics under immense pressure from NSW players and fans alike. For NSW to win, they just simply have to step up. Queensland have displayed their big game ability, can NSW show theirs?