New South Wales must put in a monumental team effort to keep their State of Origin’s hopes alive at the MCG.
But eagle-eyed fans saw a moment during the national anthem that was cause for concern before the big second game.
As the camera panned across the lineups of the Queensland and Blues stars, the Maroons linked arms as Sheridan Adams sang the anthem.
However, two Blues stars, Jarome Luai and Liam Martin, kept their hands at their sides rather than adopting the usual position.
Martin allayed those concerns by getting the Blues off to a good start after scoring following sustained pressure from New South Wales in the opening shots of the game.
The Panthers star showed no signs of a lack of passion for his home-state team as he enthusiastically kicked the ball into the MCG crowd after giving his team the lead.
From there it was a one-sided attack, with the Blues executing three unanswered tries to stun the conquering Maroons.
More to follow.
Two NSW Blues players decided not to join together to sing the national anthem
It was a worrying sign for fans as the Blues looked to reverse the series deficit.