5 Blake Ferguson, debut, Canberra. An enigma on and off the field. No doubting his talent, will need to keep his spirits high if things don't go to plan early, otherwise could be a long night. 6 James Maloney, debut, Sydney Roosters. Mature debutant, so the occasion shouldn't get to him. Needs to kick and defend well. Will be a spot player for Queensland in defence. 7 Mitchell Pearce, 9 Origins, Sydney Roosters. Has dodged the axe unlike most of his halves partners. Reports from camp suggest Pearce has taken on more of a leadership role this series. 8 Paul Gallen (c), 14 Origins, Cronulla. Won't play as many minutes, so his impact will be tested. Will again lead from the front. 9 Robbie Farah, 5 Origins, Wests Tigers. Outstanding series last year. Was tough last series, will need some more in attack.

10 James Tamou, 3 Origins, North Queensland. Big and strong. Needs to make a dent early against Cowboys teammate Matt Scott. 11 Luke Lewis, 11 Origins, Cronulla. The only NSW player to be part of a winning series, when he played all three matches in 2004. Had a shoulder complaint but will be OK. 12 Ryan Hoffman, 5 Origins, Melbourne. Arguably the best hole runner in the competition. Will need to be a calming influence. 13 Greg Bird, 11 Origins, Gold Coast. Expected to play in the unfamiliar role of a middle forward. Could do some damage with his ball skills. Interchange:

14 Anthony Watmough, 9 Origins, Manly. In career-best form. Expected to play in the middle of the field and will add experience to an untested bench. 15 Andrew Fifita, debut, Cronulla. The most in-form NSW player but expected to be used in short bursts. Watch for quick play the ball. 16 Trent Merrin, 4 Origins, St George Illawarra. Needs to use his footwork against a tiring Queensland side. His change of angle could be damaging. 17 Josh Reynolds, debut, Canterbury. A tough niggler who is made for Origin. Will provide plenty of energy.

THE MAROONS

1 Billy Slater, 19 Origins, Melbourne. After starting well, has slowed up for the Storm in recent weeks. Due for a big game. 2 Darius Boyd, 14 Origins, Newcastle. Has trained lightly after an ankle injury. Main job will be to finish and finish well. 3 Greg Inglis, 18 Origins, South Sydney. Will be given a roaming licence at stages during the game, which can only mean trouble for NSW. The more times he touches the ball, the more damage he'll do. Will spend the bulk of the game against Josh Morris. 4 Justin Hodges, 15 Origins, Brisbane. Will reprise his role as the sounding board for abuse from the NSW faithful. Dangerous step and fend. 5 Brent Tate, 18 Origins, North Queensland. Mr Reliable. Will make plenty of metres out of dummy half.

6 Johnathan Thurston, 24 Origins, North Queensland. Record breaker and dream destroyer for NSW. Will utilise his dummy once NSW forwards tire. 7 Cooper Cronk, 9 Origins, Melbourne. Will kick and organise his team to victory. Loves extra attention to set up his outside men. 8 Matt Scott, 11 Origins, North Queensland. Carries strong and attracts plenty of defenders. Need to work him over in defence. 9 Cameron Smith, 27 Origins, Melbourne. The genius behind the magic. The Blues need to somehow cut his time down and not allow him to get his team on the front foot. 10 David Shillington, 7 Origins, Canberra. A mainstay in the Queensland pack. Performed strongly for Canberra.

11 Nate Myles, 20 Origins, Gold Coast. Will start the game in the back-row but likely to switch to the middle of the field at some stage. Can play the full game. 12 Sam Thaiday, 17 Origins, Brisbane. Will again act as Thurston's bodyguard. Important NSW commit him in defence to get a shot at isolating Thurston. 13 Ashley Harrison, 14 Origins, Gold Coast. The workhorse. Will play big minutes and go close to making the most tackles. Interchange: 14 Corey Parker, 8 Origins, Brisbane. Used to playing 80 minutes but will need to bring some energy when he comes on the field. NSW need to watch for Slater sniffing around him for an off-load.

15 Matt Gillett, 3 Origins, Brisbane. Solid in his three appearances last year. Another back-rower on the bench. Loading 16 Ben Te'o, 1 Origin, South Sydney. Will need to put off-field distractions behind him to play. Great leg drive, could make an impact if NSW defence gets lazy. 17 Chris McQueen, debut, South Sydney. Can play wing/centre or in the forwards. A short stint with his pace could be a game changer.