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Watch out for black cats, broken mirrors and the number 13 in the Blues camp because coach Ricky Stuart is more than a little concerned that bad luck is on its way to Brisbane.
Last night, it wasn’t so much a team announcement, but more a forum to fire warning shots at bus drivers, ground managers and referees.
Is it necessary? Probably not. Is he scarred by past experiences? You bet.
When Stuart played in the 1991 series decider, he said the camp was disrupted in every way imaginable because Wally Lewis was playing his last game for Queensland.
The locals wanted to send him out a winner and played some role in making it happen.
Cold showers, flooded change rooms, late busses and closed training grounds were common.
The series was tied at 1-1 then, just as it is now. History is also repeating itself with another Maroons icon in Darren Lockyer playing his last Origin game next week at the same stadium.
Stuart wants to make sure that the build-up is trouble free, but I refuse to believe that in 2011 a representative rugby league team would encounter the good old tricks of decades past.
Brisbane isn’t going to descend into total chaos just because Lockyer is playing his last game for the Maroons.
“It was like we were invited to the party but we weren’t able to have a beer or dance with anyone,” Stuart said of his trip to Brisbane 20-years-ago.
“I just really hope that this doesn’t happen in this game.
“There’s two teams there. The occasion won’t be too big for my players, but I just hope the occasion won’t be too big for the other people that are involved.”
Nothing breeds paranoia quite like State of Origin.
Queenslanders think the NRL and the world is against them and the Blues are worried about, well… everything.
Stuart also called on the referees to be strong and ignore the sold out crowd.
Bad decisions didn’t cost the Blues in game one – a crucial lapse in concentration did.
They’ll lose again if the same happens on Wednesday week.
No bus driver, ground manager or hotel receptionist will play a part.
It will just be the Blues against one of the best rugby league sides the game has ever seen.
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