NEW NSW coach Brad Fittler has nine days to bring 19 football players together and create a team that can win State of Origin.

If that wasn’t hard enough, 13 of them have never played an Origin game before. That includes extended squad members Nick Cotric and Tariq Sims.

Fittler is driving a culture change of sorts inside Blues camp.

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Mobile phones have been banned when the team is together. Teammates are forced to talk to each other and get to know one another.

And, naturally, roommates will be spending plenty of one-on-one time with each other during the camp at Crowne Plaza on Coogee Beach, then when they hunker down in Melbourne leading up to game day.

That’s why the Blues brains trust has been rather selective in deciding who should room with who.

NSW Blues player David Klemmer during a team training session at Coogee Oval. Source: AAP

NSW adviser Greg Alexander was put in charge of pairing the players up.

He explained the method to foxsports.com.au.

For the most part, he put players together who would be defending next to each other on the field — the left winger and centre, the hooker and lock, etc. The idea is to get to know the bloke you’ll be covering to your left or right.

But he also split up the two halves for an entirely different reason.

Here’s the Blues roomies for game one.

LATRELL MITCHELL and JOSH ADDO-CARR

The left centre-wing combination.

Two of the most talented young outside backs in the NRL and a pair of Origin rookies with big futures ahead of them.

Mitchell could have a hard time making sure the Fox keeps his phone in his bag, after coach Fittler singled out Addo-Carr as the one player who he was worried would break the rule.

JAMES ROBERTS and TOM TRBOJEVIC

Again, a couple of NSW debutants with bucketloads of talent between them.

They will occupy the right flank for the Blues at the MCG next week.

NATHAN CLEARY and TYSON FRIZELL

The rookie halfback has been roomed with one of the more experienced forwards in the team.

Alexander explained he chose not to room Cleary with Penrith teammate James Maloney simply because he wanted to take the younger playmaker out of his comfort zone.

“We didn’t want Nathan and Jimmy together, because we thought it would be good if Nathan mixed with someone from a different club.

“We put Nathan with Tyson Frizell because they will defend on the right side together. Tyson will be looking after Nathan, he will be (defending) inside Nathan.”

JAMES MALONEY and JAMES TEDESCO

The five-eighth and fullback were paired up simply because they were the odd ones out.

Both men have been in Origin camps before and are already familiar with one another.

Teddy, good luck keeping the larrikin Maloney in check. You might want to sleep with one eye open to protect yourself from any pranks.

DAMIEN COOK and JACK DE BELIN

The hooker and lock will spend time side-by-side on the field in the middle of the park.

Neither has played an Origin game before, although de Belin has been in camps previously.

DAVID KLEMMER and REAGAN CAMPBELL-GILLARD

The starting props have never roomed together before, despite being on Kangaroos tour for last year’s World Cup.

Klemmer’s regular roomie and best mate Aaron Woods did not get selected for NSW this time around, and has been replaced — in every sense — by the Penrith wrecking ball.

“He’s a different sort of bloke but he’s exciting,” Klemmer told foxsports.com.au of his new roommate.

“The mo mate, the mo. He’s got to cut it off.”

BOYD CORDNER

The skipper gets a room all to himself. Alexander says that’s just a custom stretching back to his own playing days.

“The captain always has a room on his own, that’s always a thing.

“I think the captain (Cordner) wants someone with him, he’s a bit lonely. He leaves his door open so people can wander in,” Alexander joked.

PAUL VAUGHAN and JAKE TRBOJEVIC

The bench props are paired up in a room.

Trbojevic could well have been rooming with Damien Cook, if he had not been ousted from the starting lock position by Jack de Belin.

TYRONE PEACHEY and ANGUS CRICHTON

The two remaining players in the 17-man team get to bunk down together.

Neither has experienced an Origin camp before but will have plenty of time to get to know one another over the coming week.

NICK COTRIC and TARIQ SIMS

The two men in the extended squad.

They will not get the chance to run out onto the MCG next Wednesday, unless Cotric is gifted a spot, most likely because James Roberts fails to overcome an Achilles injury.

BRAD FITTLER

All the NSW Blues coaching staff are given their own private room at the Crowne Plaza.

But according to adviser Alexander, the head coach’s quarters are a little fancier than others.

“The coach gets the penthouse, Freddy gets the penthouse, it’s outrageous.”