Just play: Brad Fittler's football philosophy. Credit:Getty Images One series win in five years is admirable given the calibre of the opposition, but after three years of almost being good enough – but actually not quite good enough – it's time for a revolution. Another one. Again. Fittler and Johns drop goofy one-liners in their role as Channel Nine commentators and Footy Show panellists but there can be no mistaking their passion for the sky blue jumper and their wealth of football knowledge. The time for critiquing from the sidelines is over, though. If they want a different result, they need to get involved. Johns was the angriest man in the Blues sheds after Origin II; that in itself explains a lot about the team's culture. After game three, he was almost lost for words before slamming their attitude and style of play.

An Immortal: Andrew Johns reads the game like no other. Credit:Getty Images "I still don't think NSW get it," he said. What don't they get, Joey? Get in there and show them. Teach them well and let them lead the way. "I don't know if I need that pressure in my life, if I'm going to be honest," Johns said when asked if he would consider taking on the job. Take it on, Joey. You were the best halfback of your generation, maybe ever. Surely you can handle this.

As for Fittler, the way his City players have raved about him in recent years suggests he is ripe for the job. In those camps, he bans players' mobile phones. If he became Blues coach alongside Johns you can bet he'd be banning players having marathon sessions in their hotel rooms playing FIFA on their PlayStations. Nine sports boss Tom Malone might take some convincing but the notion of one or both coaching the Blues isn't beyond the realms of possibility. Johns and Fittler would perfectly complement each other. Before the Footy Show one Sunday morning a few years ago, Johns and Fittler were in the green room with Sharks captain Paul Gallen. The Sharks had lost the night before and Johns was telling Gallen what he had seen; the game within the game the best players see but the rest of us cannot. He was talking about "A" and "B" defenders, and how the Sharks could've won if only they had exploited certain weaknesses in the other side.

Fittler started laughing. Is that how you coach your sides, Freddy? "I just tell them to play," he said. "Just play." From the 52nd minute of game two, when Maroons pinball Dane Gagai scored the try that dragged Queensland back from the brink, NSW forgot how to play. Of equal importance is the promotion of the series. This isn't a whinge about media access but shielding the players from the press and public just adds to the tension around the side. Or maybe it doesn't build enough.

Fittler in particular understands the value of selling the product. Get them out of Kingscliff. Get them out of The Star. Get them back to the Crowne Plaza at Coogee where they've stayed for years and let them absorb all the love and hope that NSW still has for its Origin side, but will quickly fade if it doesn't start winning a series or two. Some will say Fittler and Johns are too mad, too whacky for Origin. I reckon that's what makes them perfect. They can make it fun again. Blues to the fore Only four NSW players fronted the awaiting media outside their dressing room after the defeat. James Maloney, Nathan Peats and bench players Wade Graham and young Jake Trbojevic aimed up and talked to reporters.

The rest stayed within their inner sanctum for as long as possible, and then marched out the door in single file and onto the team bus without uttering a word. We understand it was a devastating result. Halfback Mitchell Pearce is understandably shattered. He needs to know one match doesn't change all the other positive things he's achieved off the field in the last 18 months. That said, this column has been in enough losing rooms after Origins, Test matches and particularly grand finals to know players gain far more respect by fronting up and answering the hard questions. Queensland always does. Daley gagged prop Andrew Fifita from talking before this game, fearing he would say something about major sponsor The Star. All Fifita had to say was "no comment" to questions he didn't want to answer. The Blues were more than happy for Fifita to be lauded – and ridiculously so – as the next Arthur Beetson after his performance in game one. Shutting him down for the decider was petty.

He was seen in the middle of Queen Street Mall hours before the game chatting to fans and friends. Unfortunately for NSW, he wasn't as prominent on the field. Fifita is best when he's running straight at the line, not around it. It's a point the Sharks continually hammer him about at training. The Queenlanders have shown in two matches how to nullify his 120-kilogram presence: by getting three defenders on him early and forcing him sideways. Gunners bring the big time The numbers behind Arsenal's visit to Sydney are quite staggering.

The EPL giants flew into Sin City (can we even call it that any more?) on Tuesday and immediately took out 100 of 155 rooms at the fancy schmancy Park Hyatt at The Rocks. There are 90 people in the official tour squad including club CEO Ivan Gazidis, legendary manager Arsene Wenger, 25 players, coaches, physios and rehab staff, dieticians and a communications team that includes staff for their own Arsenal TV channel. Some rooms were booked purely as massage rooms for the players. Thursday's match against Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium was expected to draw more than 80,000 while Saturday's clash with Western Sydney Wanderers could go close to surpassing the 83,598 fans who watched Chelsea-Sydney FC in 2015, which is the benchmark crowd for a football match in Sydney outside of the 2000 Olympics. Meanwhile, as many as 20,000 fans are expected to attend an open training session at ANZ Stadium from 2pm to 7pm. That session is free to all fans. The tour is worth a motza to the NSW economy, with 27,000 interstate visitors and 2200 international visitors flying in to Sydney to attend the games and take part in other activities.

It's messy with Manny We should know in a fortnight whether there will be a rematch between Queenslander Jeff Horn and 11-time world champion Manny Pacquiao. It's understood Pacquiao's iconic promoter, Bob Arum, will fly to Manilla at the end of the month to discuss his fighter's future in the wake of his shock defeat to Horn. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, doesn't have the answer if his dynamite interview with Sports Illustrated is any gauge. Roach reveals how Pacquiao refused to look at him after the fight, continually brushing his hair over one of the cuts in his head.