Game 3's are sometimes an issue. When everything is set in stone, the schedule all planned out and tickets sold, you never know what to expect with a game 3 especially when that game 3 doesn't really mean a whole lot. There are many cliches used to described a game when a series winner has already been decided, but these cliches rarely hit the mark because they are countered by some more cliches from the players side about how much this game means to them. A game 3 in Brisbane, after New South Wales have already won the series, after they have not only broken a great streak but also broken down Queensland ... hmmm awkward.

Therein lies the joy of this year's game 3. I feel for people who won't watch it because there's no point with the series already decided - you're missing out on all the little things. All the little things that make up State of Origin. When the only thing at stake is pretty much your pride, you have a lot to play for. 

NSW want a sweep. They want to head back to Sydney with a 3-0 win to go along with their shield. As QLD have done so often to them, NSW want to do something pretty extraordinary on QLD's turf. Remove any sense of dignity or tiny amounts of joy from the QLD camp when they reflect on 2014. This is the Laurie Daley era and the way NSW perform tomorrow night could hold greater influence on this legacy than winning back the shield itself. 

Imagine, imagine for a second, that NSW win 3-0. They break the streak and do so by sweeping this QLD side who have been praised as one of the greatest sides ever assembled. Many would have thought that this moment would come eventually, but it would have been pretty hard to imagine that NSW could do it 3-0. Everything they've done so far has been done with a foundation of grit, determination and toughness. NSW haven't played sublime footy, they haven't razzled and dazzled their way to victory, they've simply played Origin footy better than QLD. 

That foundation, is what good things are built upon. Relying on individual brilliance doesn't bring long term success, winning thanks to the effort of 17 men does. Whether Daley gives NSW a freedom to thrill, to really take the game to QLD and chance their arm a bit with the series in the bag, will be interesting.

Interesting, because you have to expect that that's what QLD will do. They have very few options, they could run out and try emulate game 2 with some rugged footy, a battle of hearts and minds or they could get in to the grind as much as they have to and play some footy off of that.

Mal Meninga is in a tricky spot. Should he express a desire to play an exciting brand of footy and use the skills, talents and ability of his players, he risks loosing 3-0. Should he outline a game plan to grind NSW out of the game, he risks a fair bit as well. QLD fans need to see life, they need to feel hope and know that it's all going to be ok. No one - player, coach, fan, official in QLD has experienced this before (if they have it was a long time ago) and so they need to see a way out. This is where Meninga will shine or hand the torch over to Laurie Daley.

QLD have the ability to get everyone on board, to offer hope to QLD fans and most importantly show themselves that they can still do this whole 'play Origin footy' thing. Well they've shown that they can play Origin footy, but this year they haven't shown that they can play Origin footy and score some points. Can they get Jonathan Thurston and Daly Cherry-Evans working together in a seamless, crisp manner? Can they get Greg Inglis involved a whole lot more? Can they actually compete and dominate up front? Questions are abundant.

For all the questions about QLD, it's uncertain how NSW will play. They've shown how tough they can play, while they've also shown glimpses of smooth attacking play. This is why game 3 will be fun. On a dry Suncorp pitch, both sides will be a little bit more free (I think) and they'll offer a bit more in terms of "hey we need to score some points". 

Both sides have plenty to loose, but there's a high possibility that game 3 will be a better game of all round footy than the first two. I dunno, I guess I'm hoping as much as anything. The first two games were absorbing to say the least, so maybe I'm just hoping for a bit more fun. While the battle on the field is what will determine not only the result but also the general feeling and my dumb idea about 'fun', the Meninga vs Daley factor will be where the most fun is. Two old dogs, a blank canvas and 17 lads at their disposal. I'm as excited as I was for game 1.