State of Origin 2014: Game 2 preview

The Blues’ Game 1 win in the Queensland capital means the Maroons must win the second match in Sydney to keep the series – and their streak – alive.

While the Blues have only made three changes to the victorious side from three weeks ago, the Maroons are yet to settle on a final line-up, with Daly Cherry-Evans their main injury concern.

Should the 2013 Clive Churchill Medallist fail to recover, Broncos halfback Ben Hunt will wear the number seven jersey, partnering Johnathan Thurston.

Either way, the Maroons will be forced to field only their second pair of halves since Darren Lockyer’s retirement at the end of 2011, with starting halfback Cooper Cronk out for the rest of the series owing to an arm injury suffered in Game 1.

MORE ORIGIN:
>> O’CONNELL: Why NSW will win Origin 2
>> [WATCH] Highlights from Game 2 2013
>> PRENTICE: Why Queensland will win Origin 2
>> Roar preview for State of Origin Game 2
>> [WATCH] Highlights from Game 1 2014

Corey Parker and Josh Papalii have been ruled out after suffering facial and ankle injuries respectively during the Broncos versus Raiders match on June 9. On the positive side, Greg Inglis and Billy Slater should both start.

The Maroons’ injury crisis sees the Blues start Game 2 as favourites, though you can never underestimate the Northerners’ ability to bounce back quickly from a poor performance.

Three times during their current eight-year reign Queensland have come back from losing the first match to win the series, though on all three of those previous occasions, the first match was lost in Sydney. This time they arrive in Sydney on the back of a home Game 1 loss for the first time since 2003. On that occasion, they eventually went on to lose the series in Sydney before thrashing the Blues in the Suncorp Stadium dead rubber in what was Cameron Smith’s debut Origin match.

Of the Blues’ three changes, two were forced. Brett Morris suffered a shoulder injury and Josh Morris a knee injury in Game 1, seeing Josh Dugan and Will Hopoate recalled. Dugan won his recall in the centres after scoring a hat-trick in the Dragons’ 30-0 thrashing of a second-string Cronulla in Round 13, while Hopoate returns on the back of good form displayed for the resurgent Parramatta.

Tony Williams is the unlucky one to make way for Greg Bird, who returns to the side after missing Game 1 due to suspension. Paul Gallen will move from lock to the front row to accommodate Bird’s return, with James Tamou dropping to the bench. T-Rex has been named the Blues’ 18th man in the event that any injuries strike.

Again Jarryd Hayne has been named fullback and the halves pairing of Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson have been retained, despite the impressive form shown by James Maloney and Mitchell Pearce in response to their Origin omission.

Is this the Blues side that is ready to make history by ending eight years of Origin misery? Or will the under-fire Maroons salvage the series with over 84,000 Blues fans expected to be against them from start to finish?