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Maroons looking to reverse 'horror' 2019 visit to Perth in Origin II
By AAP
Memories of a mauling in their last visit west remain fresh for Queensland, but not the reason coach Billy Slater has sensed any complacency after their State of Origin I win.
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The Maroons can clinch the series at Optus Stadium on Sunday but need to reverse a horror 2019 visit that finished in a 38-6 Blues win that lead to a 2-1 comeback series victory.
Rookie coach Slater wasn’t part of that tour but the 31-game Origin veteran understands the psychology of the high-pressure showpiece.
“They lost one game; Isaah Yeo comes within half a metre (of scoring to) draw that game,” he said of their upset 16-10 win.
“These (Origin games) go down to the wire. I understand it and it’s not over.
“There was a few players involved (in the 2019 Perth loss) and it’s fresh in their memories.
“When you get the result in game one it’s a different approach to game two; you focus on improvement, on your game and I don’t see any complacency here.
“There is a lot of hunger; they enjoyed that they did well but the focus has been on getting better.”
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Maroons No.6 Cameron Munster was man of the match in Sydney and much of the pre-game chatter has centred on how NSW will blunt his offensive threats.
Queensland captain and halves partner Daly Cherry-Evans hasn’t been distracted though.
“We can’t prepare and assume as if something’s going to happen,” he said.
“We just prepare to play our role and aren’t too concerned about which one (of us) gets the accolades.
“He (Munster) just does his role really well for us; if he gets man of the match off the back of that then so be it.
“We admire him because he’s not chasing those accolades , they just come with the way he does his role in our side.”
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Queensland were forced into two changes due to injury, with Lindsay Collins moving into the starting side and Murray Taulagi onto the wing for Reuben Cotter and Xavier Coates respectively.
The Blues swung the axe, Brad Fittler making seven changes to the side that lost narrowly in Sydney.
The most notable of those resulted in hooker Damien Cook being benched for Api Koroisau and the recall of Jake Trbojevic.
Trbojevic will play at prop with Junior Paulo, who was ineffective as an interchange forward in Origin I and is one of the game’s best pace-setting props, coming off the bench again.
