NSW coach Brad Fittler admits he’s yet to work out which of his big men will be tasked with the crucial responsibility of starting in the State of Origin decider.
The Blues regathered at Homebush on late Sunday afternoon after being released from camp following their training run in Coogee on Friday.
And at the top of Fittler’s final to-do list will be deciding on which of his forwards will be in his run-on side at ANZ Stadium.
When asked by AAP whether he had settled on his starting middles, Fittler said on Sunday: “I’m still working on that.”
Fittler made the late call to start debutant Dale Finucane in place of Paul Vaughan from the kick-off in their series-levelling victory in Perth.
The returning David Klemmer, who started in game one and was easily NSW’s best forward, could also be re-inserted into the 13 after missing game two.
In Brisbane, Klemmer carried the ball for 147 metres and made 24 tackles without a miss in an unbroken 52-minute stint, but didn’t return for a second spell.
In Perth, Klemmer’s replacement in Daniel Saifiti impressed with 87 metres from eight runs, together with just 12 tackles, in 33 minutes on debut.
Klemmer was originally a shock omission from game three but got a late reprieve when forward Tariq Sims was ruled out last Tuesday with suspension.
The other major difference between games one and two was the minutes distribution for Jake Trbojevic (49 minutes to 73) and Tyson Frizell (38 to 80).
When asked what he was looking for when deciding on his starting forwards, Fittler hinted at Saifiti keeping his run-on gig.
“We’ve just got to win those early battles,” Fittler said.
“I thought Daniel Saifiti did a fantastic job in Perth. You definitely need them going forward. It’s a huge job, and not one that anyone can do.
“It’s a tough job. You need to win those early victories.”