"In both those games we didn't have probably our best player in Jarryd Hayne and in the final in 2013 we didn't have Paul Gallen either," Daley said. "People have said the last few years that we can't win but if you take out Game III last year it has been pretty close.

"We have got to make sure that we do better than we did in Game III last year but overall last year I thought our series was quite good if you take away that game. I thought in Game I we were pretty good and probably should have won, Game II in Melbourne was fantastic and Game III was what can happen when you are off against a pretty good side."

While Daley insists he isn't dwelling on that defeat, those close to the man who has been involved in more Origin games for NSW than anyone – 23 matches in nine series as a player and nine matches in three series as coach – say it took him weeks to get over and he readily admits to having no real idea of why it happened.

"It was a shock because I thought we trained really well and were ready to go but that is what can happen in sport," Daley said. "I wouldn't have done anything different. We prepared really well. We might have got a bit in front of ourselves [after winning Origin II at the MCG], we might not have turned up with the same attitude but that was probably the best we had prepared.

"They were better than us and we were a bit flat but we are not worried about the past, we are just focused on this game and this series. I am approaching this series like we always have; very confident that we can play well and if we play well we give ourselves a chance."