Attention zoned in on Billy Slater's omission from Queensland's State of Origin team for game one. Then it shifted towards a refreshing New South Wales team who ambushed Queensland up in Brisbane, forcing Queensland coach Kevin Walters to bring back Slater while kicking a few veterans to the curb and following Laure Daley's shift towards younger players. Throughout all of this, the low key narrative that simmered away was Jonathan Thurston's absence.

Thurston's visible disappointment when he was ruled out for game one reminded everyone about why Thurston is the greatest halfback to play the game. He's got all the skills required to sit on such a level, combine those skills with a competitive nature un-matched in the NRL where being competitive is mandatory and you've got a bloke who puts himself in position to get whacked just to deliver the best pass or kick he can, or leads a kick chase only to get bumped of by Jarryd Hayne's returns (when Hayne was NSW fullback) then comes back for more, let alone a bloke who was kinda teary eyed when outlining that he wouldn't play game one.

Take Thurston out of any footy team and they'll suffer. That this applies to a Queensland team with Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk in it, tells you all you need to know about Thurston and you'd be foolish to overlook his return to Queensland's team for game two. Yet, that's exactly what is happening and it's not really a surprise given that Thurston's absence from game one was slept on.

With so much other noise around State of Origin, everyone can be forgiven for not quite paying enough respect to Thurston and how he contributes to Queensland. This is the joy of Origin and while I have directed my own attention and energy towards highlighting how an Origin concept could apply to Aotearoa, or other #KiwiNRL ideas I will unleash in the coming days, there's nothing quite like the narrative of a State of Origin series; I'd much prefer to enjoy some Battle of Aotearoa narratives though.

New South Wales are comfortable in that they have settled on their identity and a group of players who have come together to execute that identity. Daley will churn out another young squad, led by the ever-impressive Boyd Cordner and while the Blues don't have individuals who will be remembered in the same bracket as Smith, Thurston, Cronk and Greg Inglis, the strength is in their collective talents.

The forward pack is as dynamic as they are skillful, their back-five is as big as any backline that you'll ever see and they have settled on halves and a hooker who keep things simple by getting the right bloke the ball at the right time or executing a simple option perfectly. This wasn't the case during Queensland's dynasty and instead of trying to play tougher than Queensland, or trying to match Queensland's grinding nature (borderline impossible when Smith, Thurston and Cronk are pulling the strings), New South Wales have some funk or x-factor and have found their niche.

Now it's up to Queensland to find their niche because their niche that worked wonders for so long, didn't quite match up so well against New South Wales in game one. Keep in mind that without Thurston, Inglis, Matt Scott or Corey Parker, Queensland didn't have the same tools and perhaps if Queensland had the same group of players available, what worked in the past might have worked in game one. 

Coach Kevin Walters sat on the bridge for game one. Despite not having those four jokers, he stuck with the main group that had done the trick previously. Walters didn't refresh his roster and by default he didn't/couldn't maintain the status-quo, giving Queensland a half-hearted refreshment that failed.

What we've got for game two is Walters taking Queensland over that bridge, to meet New South Wales on the other side. It took New South Wales a few years of insanity before they went over that bridge, so you can forgive Walters for not making the move before game one. 

The great core is still there in Smith, Thurston, Cronk and Slater. Slater will slot in at fullback and word is that Boyd will shift to centre, allowing Will Chambers to play on the other edge with Valentine Holmes and Dane Gagai as the wingers. This is all about speed; Slater is a livewire who offers speed around the ruck as well as speed out on the edges to skip outside his defender and strip numbers, while my #KiwiNRL perspective has seen me watch Holmes dominate Aotearoa for Australia thanks to his speed which is a very different style to that of Corey Oates.

Jarrod Wallace has been on the cusp for a few years so his inclusion is logical, while Coen Hess and Tim Glasby are about as 'refreshing' as you can get. In a league of powerful runners, Hess stands out and that had him as a possibility for game one but the funk here is in the two teams Hess and Glasby play for week in, week out. Hess plays alongside Thurston for the Cowboys and Glasby plays alongside Smith and Cronk for the Storm, which for Glasby especially, was beneficial as Smith gave him the co-sign.

Walters didn't just pick some young forwards, he picked young forwards who are trusted by his leaders. Perhaps Nate Myles and Jacob Lillyman shouldn't have been picked for game one, but you don't leave Sam Thaiday out of Origin footy lightly and Walters' dramatic selections not only offer an interesting insight into his coaching ability, a lot will rest on the shoulders of Smith and Thurston who would have given Glasby and Hess the co-sign.

Glasby might not even play, so that may not matter and we don't even know they make up of Queensland's bench, let alone knowing for certain what position Boyd will play. That's because while New South Wales have listed their team, 1-20 without drama, Queensland have a squad and a whole lot of questions. The comfort and clarity sits with New South Wales as Queensland tries to desperately hold on to their dynasty, that may already be over.

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