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With Origin Game 2 coming up tonight, it’s time for a prediction on the game.
With Queensland having Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater back in the side, the Queenslanders have the team that they should have had in Game 1.
NSW won’t have such an easy time in Game 2. Tim Glasby is debuting for the Maroons and is looking to work with his big three counterparts from the Storm.
Queensland is obviously out to save the series on Wednesday night and take it to a decider at Suncorp in a couple of weeks.
For the Blues it’s the first time in 21 years they have an unchanged side for Game 2 and will be looking to wrap up series at ANZ. Their win record in the NSW capital is currently double that of Queensland, being 16 games to 8.
But the Blues have a big yet familiar problem in the return of Thurston and Slater. Game 1 for NSW was so good due to the fact they had no fear factor of what two of the four best players in the world were going to do.
The four horseman in Slater, Cam Smith, Cooper Cronk and Thurston will ride again for Queensland on Wednesday night. NSW need to be worried.
With the band back together again, NSW will have few answers in defence and Queensland will carve them up.
Thurston had a near perfect game in Darwin a couple of weeks ago and it was the perfect tune up match. As for Slater, he is simply back to his best. By no means in this going to be an easy challenge for the Maroons on Wednesday night but they are more than up to the task.
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Even with Mitch Pearce and Andrew Fifita playing the games of their careers in Game 1, I feel that they will not repeat the same feat in Game 2.
Expect the NSW to strike early but for Queensland to steal the win late in the game like they have done so many times before.
