For eight years, Queensland had a pretty smooth run. They played with a consistent team, the majority of their changes came with role players rotating in and out while the likes of Cameron Smith, Jonathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis and Billy Slater near certainties every game. Their aren't many certainties in life, but it seemed like this crop of the game's greatest lining up in a Maroon jersey was about as certain as a politicians lie. 

Some would say the QLD are feeling the pain that New South Wales have felt for years now, but this is just the way in which things work. It's why players and coaches always talk about taking it one game at a time. Media people dismiss these thoughts and quotes as typical cliche bullkaka, but it's something that the players must keep at the front of their brains at all times. While we are thinking 10 in a row, they are thinking about the next game because things can all change pretty quickly. 

Is this the end? We'll we'd be foolish to think that QLD will fold. That doesn't happen, but this is possibly the biggest adversity they have faced in the past 8 years, for once the cards look to have fallen in favour of NSW. The early injury of Cooper Cronk in game 1 just as QLD were settling in to their dominance could have been the first sign. At the highest level of sport, all it takes is the slightest of chances, the smallest gap, the slightest whiff to sniff and it can all change. NSW have shown throughout their drought that they are close, they have competed strongly every year with a QLD team including future immortals ... the slightest shift in balance and NSW have more than enough talent to take advantage.

Well they did in game 1, but they to also have some injuries to their top line players and have had to reshuffle their right edge. In come Josh Dugan and Will Hopoate which could be argued is a better combination that the Morris twins ... depends who you talk to. Dugan is a player who has designed for this sort of arena. Not in terms of a Paul Gallen, Beau Scott or the recalled Greg Bird, but in terms of ability - he can do freakish things, he's a lanky type of guy but has strength and agility which makes him tough to handle. He has a game breaking ability and has shown his ability at centre recently. It also allows NSW a cheeky new dimension, both Dugan and Hayne can play right centre as well as fullback so we could see a few trick shots from NSW. Hopoate is solid, no mistakes from him on the right wing and he's the type of fellow who won't be scared of the occasion. In Greg Bird they have a player who well, he's umm, Greg Bird. He would have been awesome in the game 1 trenches, he's going to be better in the heat of game 2. Unfortunate for Tony Williams but hey.

QLD's extended squad is purely to cover their bases. Billy Slater has played Origin's with a bung knee for a few years now and you would expect him to line up unless he can't walk. In the age of professional sport, players have everything they need to recover so imagine what players of Slater and Greg Inglis' level will get? They will have their needs catered, probably more so than when you're at you're mates house and their mum treats you like the golden child she wished she had. With Daly Cherry-Evans also banged up, the medical staff will be the busiest people in camp. Would any three on these guys miss the game? I highly doubt it. While there is a strong chance that their injuries are sereal, serious enough to make them miss a must win game 2 in Sydney, I doubt they will miss it. My x-ray vision and keen mind reading ability tell me that Mal Meninga is a smart cookie. Obviously he's named a large squad just in case, but Meninga and the QLD camp will do their best to ensure no info about Slater, Inglis and DCE will be leaked to NSW and the media. He probably knows that all three of them will play, but why not keep NSW guessing. 

If they don't play, here's the scenarios. Ben Hunt will come in for DCE - expect Cameron Smith to do a whole lot of play making with Hunt spending some time at dummy half. If Slater is out, Inglis will go to fullback with Will Chambers/Will Tonga coming in at centre. If Inglis and Slater are out, I imagine Darius Boyd will go to fullback with Tonga at centre and Chambers on the wing. It's hard to see Anthony Milford being thrown in to the cauldron. 

Sam Thaiday's absence wasn't talked about much in game 1, but his return is important. I also reckon that QLD need another prop, especially in Sydney which has traditionally been a slower pitch so Jacob Lillyman could get a bench spot.

Sydney, home of 'Batchy's Blues. A crowd full of NSW fans who know they have a chance, they smell blood. It's a pretty big game, possibly one of the biggest in recent history given the situation. It really is do or die, but unlike these do or die games of the past where QLD have faced them with a sense of calm thanks to their combinations and planning, this time things are slightly different. State of Origin means fence sitting is frowned upon, you either support the Blue or the Maroon. I honestly don't know which way the game will go, but I know this is why I love sports. This game will either be remembered for the start of something new, the end of a dynasty, the rebirth. Or it will be remembered for the performance of a group of men, many of them in a class of their own who somehow did something that mere mortals couldn't dream of. 

Once again, I've worked myself up, getting a bit of a sweat and that tingle.