Queensland thrashed the Blues 38-10 in Game I but NSW were forced to play 73 minutes of the match with just 12 players after Joseph Sua'ali'i was sent off in the seventh minute for a brutal high shot on Queensland fullback Reece Walsh.
A desperate NSW side, featuring five changes from Game I, who will be playing against a polished and settled Maroons team.
The kicking game of Mitchell Moses will be a major asset for NSW, as will the return of Cameron Murray at lock, but for the Maroons, they will have the electric Walsh for 80 minutes this time around.
Latrell Mitchell will be back in the State of Origin arena for the first time since 2021, all eyes will be on the South Sydney fullback who will be playing left centre for NSW.
At his best, Mitchell can be the circuit breaker the Blues need, but he will require a platform to be laid by his forwards to allow him to dominate.
Reece Walsh only lasted seven minutes of Origin I thanks to Sua'ali'i’s high shot but don’t expect the self-confident Queensland fullback to be rattled by that.
Walsh will be a huge factor late in the game when fatigue sets in.
Queensland won the series 2-0 last year before the Blues won game three.
State of Origin Game II between the Blues and Maroons kicks off at 10.05pm tonight.
Source: Stuff.co
