Two Blues enforcers are ready to take it to the Maroons and the 50,000 passionate Queenslanders at the Suncorp Stadium cauldron next Wednesday.
Liam Martin says the Blues are keen to continue their punishing assault of the Maroons, after New South Wales bullied and dominated Queensland physically in the Game II thrashing at the MCG.
Martin was a barometer defensively for New South Wales in Game II, laying on several huge hits which seemed to galvanise the Blues.
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The back rower is under no illusion that he won’t be well recieved at Suncorp Stadium, but he couldn’t care less.
“Probably grub, or something like that,” Martin said when asked about treatment he’ll cop from Maroons fans in Brisbane.
“I don’t try to buy into it too much. It won’t affect my game.
“I don’t lose too much sleep over it.
“We just went after it physically and that’s just what we wanted to do.
“We were happy with that. But we have to go to another level now, we can’t just be happy with that game.
“We have to go up again.”
Martin also believes damaging Blues teammate Spencer Leniu will relish the formidable conditions of a decider at Suncorp.
Origin rookie Leniu’s selection has proven to be a masterstroke by Blues coach Michael Maguire.
Used in a pinch-hitting type role, where he’d come on for short stints and given a licence to let loose, the Roosters forward has been outstanding in both games this series.
In just 23 Game I minutes, Leniu had 111 running metres and seven tackle busts. In Game II, he had 76 metres with four tackle busts.
“He is that kind of player that will lift the intensity and that’s why we love him and love playing with him,” Martin said of Leniu, his former club teammate at the Panthers.
“That’s him, he fires himself up and wants people to fire him up.
“We call him fireball because he gets going and it’s awesome to play alongside — it’s not so fun to be up against.”
HUNT HITS MILESTONE
Maroons veteran Ben Hunt will join an exclusive club when he runs out at Suncorp in his 20th Origin appearance to earn the highly acclaimed “Tosser” Turner Medal.
Making his debut off the bench in 2017, Hunt has become Queensland’s first-choice hooker despite his usual club position of halfback.
Arguably his finest moment in the Maroon jersey came in the 2022 decider when he retrieved a Nathan Cleary chip kick to race 70 metres and seal victory for Queensland.
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“It is a huge honour (to play 20 Origins). You look at the list of the guys that have made it and to be in their company is something I am very proud of,” Hunt said.
“Making my debut in a decider at Suncorp, and we won, is pretty special. That one (in 2022) with the runaway try is definitely up there as well.
“It was definitely a bad defeat down in Melbourne and something that we are looking to improve on. In 2022 we had a pretty bad loss in game two and came to Brisbane and won in a tight game.
“I think it is going to be like that Wednesday night. It is going to be a tough battle and a tight game and one both teams are going to be up for.”
And despite Queensland’s Game Two shellacking by NSW, Hunt believes a packed Suncorp Stadium will be enough to lift his side and earn redemption against the Blues.
“Coming back to Suncorp it is always the place we play our best footy. It is our home ground and a place where you don’t like to lose. It brings out the best in us,” Hunt said.
“We just need to draw on everything we can, embrace the crowd at Suncorp and get a win.
“When we come back to Suncorp it seems to be the place where we play our best footy.”
Source Agencies
