Fullback

Billy Slater has come under plenty of scrutiny for a variety of reasons heading into game two. New South Wales started game one kicking long to Slater and they'll adopt a similar plan to make Slater take that first hit up and test his bung body. Slater responded extremely well though and even got under the skin of NSW, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Slater not quite at the same level.

Josh Dugan is NSW's best attacking threat and showed it in game one. NSW must get Dugan plenty of good quality ball; give it to him early and with space while Dugan's gotta always be sniffing around looking to pounce on any opportunity.

Wings

Will Chambers had one of the better performances on the wing that I can remember and the enthusiasm that he carried the ball with needs to be repeated. Darius Boyd, I thought was a bit short of a gallop, he was industrious carting the ball forward but missed a few assignments in game one and I'll be interested to see how he reponds.

The Morris who plays on the wing should be a bit more involved than Daniel Tupou was in game one and his experience will be a huge boost for NSW. Will Hopoate wasn't as quiet as Tupou in game one but NSW need to see Hopoate more involved as he's big and has good feet as well as having a great combination with Beau Scott.

Centres

The staple of Justin Hodges' game is dummy half running and we'll see more of that in game two, although NSW had better try shut it down asap. Both Hodges and Greg Inglis are defensively solid and make good decisions, plus with Slater being a bit iffy, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Inglis unleashed in some capacity.

Michael Jenning is an x-factor player and he needs far more ball tomorrow night, whether he breaks the line or not, he's going to be a handful and a busy Jennings is a nightmare. The Morris who plays centre will need to be well aware of what Inglis is up to, otherwise it is more of the same from him on attack as he was one of NSW's best.

Standoff/Six

Mitchell Pearce simply needs to run the ball and play with more freedom. His game his perfectly suited to this role at Origin level; he's big, rips in and loves the physical aspect but he's also quick and has a big step. Run the ball son.

Jonathan Thurston has been named at six but he will probably lead the charge as a halfback would. Thurston's go to option is a short side play down the left, but he's a master at getting repeat sets as well.

Haflback

Trent Hodkinson, well all the pressure is on Hodko to produce the good. He will play behind a forward pack who will get on the front foot and Hodkinson has to consistently make the right decisions as to which plays to run and when. How will his confidence levels be after being yanked by Des Hasler?

Daly Cherry-Evans, well there's plenty of pressure on DCE as well. This is a low key huge game for DCE, thanks in part to all the off field drama but also given what he's produced as an Origin halfback. His best option is to fit seamlessly into the team and play a simple, yet effective hand.

Props

You can't say anything negative about Aaron Woods and James Tamou, they were a shining light for NSW, just repeat the dose.

Which is exactly the same for Matt Scott and Nate Myles, who handled NSW's big pack bravely and kept QLD moving forwards.

Hooker

Robbie Farah and Cameron Smith are about as similar as they come, but Smith was far more influential in game one with his long kicking game out of dummy half. Farah has a bung shoulder which makes things interesting, don't be surprised to see QLD ruffle Farah's feathers. Farah does need to be much more involved; run the footy and provide some spark around the ruck.

Back Row

Beau Scott will be tasked with keeping Inglis quiet again, but he probably needs to offer a bit more in attack whether it be a quick play the ball or an offload. Ryan Hoffman's got that offload behind the defender working a treat, look out for that with Jennings. These two are very solid, reliable footballers.

Sam Thaiday looks at his best out a bit wider, more space to wind up and get busy, it's one of my favourite sights in rugby league. He's a go to option on the right edge, whether as a ball runner or a decoy which always troubles defenders. If you weren't focused on Aidan Guerra, you might not know he's playing, but he doesn't make mistakes and is always keen to get involved up the guts.

Lock

These two locks are the best in the business and should be model footballers for any young lock. Both Paul Gallen and Corey Parker get through their stock-standard work; tough hit ups and plenty of tackles but they both offer so much more in terms of offloads and a good enough passing game. This is probably the best match-up on the field because they can each produce a low key moment of brilliance, but they both inspire their team as well.

Bench

Trent Merrin and David Klemmer offer the most impact for NSW off the bench and they will both come on through the middle to either wreak havoc in Klemmer's case, or offer some footwork and skill in Merrin's case. Boyd Cordner has to come on an punch holes in the Maroons defence, he was quiet in game on while Josh Jackson is cut from the same cloth as Scott and Hoffman.

Michael Morgan provides some funk to QLD's bench and his halves ability could be crucial as he'll come on and target big NSW forwards. Jacob Lillyman and Josh McGuire do a good job of maintaining some fight through the middle while Matt Gillett is the hardest forward to tackle in the game, sort of. There's a bit more variety of this bench, which could be the difference.