Coach Anthony Griffin will strongly consider resting stars like veteran centre Justin Hodges and skipper Sam Thaiday from Brisbane’s NRL blockbuster with Melbourne two days after the State of Origin opener.
Origin survival has been the Broncos’ mid-season enemy ever since the first-year club handed over Allan Langer, Gene Miles, Joe Kilroy, Greg Conescu and coach Wayne Bennett for game one of the interstate series in 1988.
The Broncos have traditionally made strong starts to seasons only to fall by the wayside during the representative season.
But after a 6-2 start in 2012, Griffin will consider employing the same tactics of resting players he employed last year when the Broncos won four from six during the Origin series.
The freshened-up Broncos then charged into last year’s finals with eight wins from their last eight regular-season games.
“We have to (repeat that effort). We’ve got to keep rolling,” said Griffin.
“That’ll determine how far we go in the season. We’ve had some wins to get us into this position, but we can’t be using excuses in that Origin period about having people out.”
Griffin said if he felt it was detrimental for any player to back up two days after a brutal Origin game, he would make that call.
“If someone is in danger of a long-term injury, they’re not going to play two games in three days,” he said.
“We won’t be throwing away jumpers for the sake of it but if we need to rest players to protect them from injury, we will.”
In 24 years, the six-time premiers have handed over 51 players for Origin duty, including their most-capped performer in Darren Lockyer, who retired last year after breaking Langer’s individual games record while leading Queensland to a record sixth straight series win.
Griffin could lose up to six players to Origin duty next week.
Hodges, Thaiday and veteran props Petero Civoniceva and Ben Hannant are rated Maroons certainties.
Incumbent Corey Parker, who was super impressive in all three Origin games last year, and utility Matt Gillett also have compelling cases.