There are any number of State of Origin demons NSW needed to address prior to this year's series, but perhaps none are more frightening right now than that of a "possessed" Greg Inglis.
The Blues will on Sunday officially begin game two preparations in Sydney, where they hope to claim the interstate shield for just the second time in 13 attempts at ANZ Stadium.
And while their task has been made easier by the representative retirements of Cooper Cronk, Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston, at least one future Queensland legend remains.
And his presence was definitely felt in game one.
"He was a man possessed down in Melbourne," Blues second-rower and South Sydney teammate Angus Crichton said of Inglis.
With his team on the back foot for a large chunk of the contest, Inglis injected some serious steel into the Maroons' defence with a series of rattling hits on unsuspecting Blues players.
For Crichton, it was a sight to behold.
"Obviously I'm happy for him as a person to be able to find that form again because he's one of my mates. But we're going to have to find a way to defuse that bomb," he said.
"He's always going to be tough. He's Greg Inglis, he's one of the best players in the game. I grew up watching his highlights videos before I played my own footy as a junior."
Crichton came off the bench to play the final 50 minutes of game one, where he carried the ball for just 49 metres but made 32 tackles in roles both in the middle and on the edge.
He was rested in the Rabbitohs' close win over Gold Coast, but delivered again with an equal team-high 16 carries in Thursday's win against Parramatta.
Now he's on the cusp of helping the Blues end the Maroons' 12-year dominance.
"That's the sort of stuff that dreams are made of. My first time ever going to an Origin game was that one in Melbourne. I'd never been to an Origin game before," he said.
"We've got a big job on our hands down here in Sydney. I'm excited to play in front of a packed ANZ Stadium. I haven't experienced that yet and I'm just excited to get back with the boys next week."
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