The Chronicle

Blues ready to clinch series

- WITH JASON GIBBS, SEAN TEUMA AND GLEN MCCULLOUGH

EVERY Saturday The Chronicle team talks about the big issues in sport locally, nationally and worldwide, if need be.

With Glen still away on holidays the team’s “Blue Boys” have taken over.

Read on if you’d like to find out exactly why Jason and Sean will win State of Origin this Sunday.

Jason Gibbs: It’s ours to lose and even the “King of the North” Billy Slater won’t be able to stop us.

Slater’s return does concern me a little – he brings a great deal of experience to the side – but he’s been a little patchy for Melbourne this year and I’m not convinced about his fitness.

The thing that really boosts my confidence though has nothing to do with Queensland – it’s all about us.

We’re stable – for once in our lives we’re stable and that counts for a lot.

Even after our convincing game one victory last year I wasn’t confident – heading into game two I thought there were a few too many egos in our side.

It proved costly with the Maroons stealing the game and then winning the series.

We don’t have that this year because Brad Fittler has picked a team – not a bunch of talented individual­s.

Not a single player was out there playing for themselves in the series and that is what got us over the line.

The key to victory will replicatin­g that effort and giving just a little bit more again.

If the boys can do that the series is ours for the taking.

Queensland will come out all guns blazing but I firmly believe we will be ready.

Game one was only an appetiser and our boys are still hungry.

Sean Teuma: I just can’t see how New South Wales won’t bring home the shield come tomorrow night.

I know I said this exact same thing heading into game two last year, but surely we can’t manage to blow it (yet again).

There seems to be a sense of belief in this team, almost as if they are oblivious to the decade of pain Queensland has inflicted on them.

They’re confident in their abilities, willing to play for each other and have a desire that I haven’t seen in years.

Obviously the return of Billy Slater concerns me. After the most idiotic selection decision in Origin history to leave him out of the opener in 2017, Billy made an immediate impact upon return and helped Queensland to (sigh) another series win.

Whether he will be underdone is another question after missing a tonne of club games in the lead up.

No matter what state the Maroons turn up in tomorrow night, there is one thing that will be assured, and that is a Blues win.

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