They’ve won just seven of the 21 Game Three fixtures at Suncorp Stadium but VB Blues captain Boyd Cordner and five-eighth James Maloney have declared that playing their best football tonight will see NSW take out this year’s Origin series.
After a commanding 28-4 victory in the opening game and letting slip a 16-6 half-time lead to eventually lose to a Johnathan Thurston sideline conversion, Maloney has declared the result will be determined by the performance of the Blues – not the Maroons.
Maloney believes the VB Blues’ performance in the past two games gives a key indication as to who will be in control of the result in the blockbuster series decider.
“Come [tonight], we will decide the game,” Maloney said. “If we lose it will be because of what we did and if we win it will be because of what we did.
“We have to make sure we get the win. I reckon if both sides play their best game of football, we still come out on top.”
Cordner endorsed his former club team-mate’s claims, saying the side has clearly shown its ability to dominate the Maroons throughout the past two fixtures, but admits it’s imperative they put themselves in the right frame of mind to have every chance of claiming a series victory for the first time since 2014.
“Queensland are a great team and they still are - they’ve shown in Game Two how great [a] team they are but I believe that if we can get ourselves right and play our best footy I believe we can win,” Cordner says.
“We’ve show especially in Game One for the 80 minutes and probably 50 minutes in Game Two that if we play our best footy [we can win].”
Cordner says a series victory would be a career highlight – but he would at least try to keep a lid on his emotions.
“You’ve got to be humble in defeat and humble in victory as well,” he says.
“[But] it would definitely be right up there. Winning a Grand Final, it’s all I’ve ever wanted do but this’ll be definitely a highlight.”