- Cam Smith urged the Maroons to be the first to kick
- Insists Queensland needs to make an early impact
- The series will be played on July 17 in Brisbane
Queensland legend Cameron Smith believes the Maroons should send a big message to the Blues with their first snap of Wednesday night’s State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium.
This comes after Billy Slater’s men were bullied by the rampant Cockroaches in the second game at the MCG last month, with the contest all but over before half-time.
Smith, who played 42 Origin matches for Queensland and was part of 11 series wins, urged the Maroons to kick off the decider.
“Whether we receive or start the game… they need to run like they’ve been shot out of a cannon,” he told SENQ Breakfast.
‘They have to return the ball like they’re going to run over somebody and really make an impact for their football team and say ‘hey, look, this is how things are going to go for our team tonight.’
“If we win the toss, I’d kick off and say, ‘Hey lads, let’s send a message right now, not just to the opposition, but we’re also going to send a message to the referee and the crowd that this is the way this team is going to play tonight and let’s put it to the Blues.'”
Smith believes the Maroons will need to be relentless and aggressive to combat the Blues’ powerful forward group.
‘Let’s hit them hard, give them an advantage, push the limits like they did in the second game,’ he said.
Queensland legend Cameron Smith has urged the Maroons to take the ball out in Game 3 if given the option so they can overwhelm the Blues in defence to start the match.
Smith (pictured) says the Maroons need to have a physical impact on the game from the start.
“If you look back as far as you can, there has never been a team in rugby league that has been able to win a big game like this one tomorrow night without pushing the boundaries of the rules.”
Origin great Corey Parker has also recently called on the Maroons to ‘hit someone’ and do whatever it takes to win the series decider.
Parker, who played 19 games for his state before turning his attention to commentary, believes physicality will be key to winning.
“Can anyone in Queensland take on these guys?” he said.
‘(Jeremiah) Nanai and (Lindsay) Collins and company … start your engines. Have the mentality of saying ‘guys, if we have to put 10 on the bench for hitting somebody, do it.’
Billy Slater’s men were bullied by the rampant NSW Blues in the second game in Melbourne and Smith wants them to bend the rules to avoid a repeat in the series decider.
“We’re going to beat the Blues.”
Parker feels the third game will have a “gunpowder moment” where “something is going to explode.”
“Something big is brewing… Queensland need to get a pimp. They need to win the game, whether it’s with a run, a tackle or a decoy run,” he said. News Corporation.
