Fittler rules out pre-game Caxton St walk

NSW players have raved about Brad Fittler's decision to walk to the ground in State of Origin I and II, but they won't be doing it in Brisbane.

Angus Critchton and Jack De Belin of the NSW Blues during a team walk.

Brad Fittler says he will not walk his NSW team through enemy territory before State of Origin III. (AAP)

NSW coach Brad Fittler admits he was tempted to continue his pre-game innovation of walking to their State of Origin venue.

But then common sense kicked in and Fitter thought better of asking his players to take a stroll through enemy territory on Wednesday night.

Blues players have raved about Fittler's decision to ditch the bus and leg it from their hotel to the MCG and ANZ Stadium in games one and two.

While NSW have stayed within walking distance of the grounds in the opening two matches, they will have to be driven from their Brisbane hotel.

And Fittler says he couldn't risk endangering the players on a walk to Suncorp Stadium that would take in Caxton Street, a traditional pre-Origin meeting place for thousands of the Maroons fans.

"They're a bit mad here, so we weren't going to test the flying (beer) cans," Fittler said on Tuesday.

"It's a shame. It would've been good in the day walking down Caxton Street, but it was unsafe in a bus, so how could we walk it."

Fittler denied his 12 rookies would be daunted by their first visit to Suncorp where the Blues have lost nine of their past 11 matches.

They did steal a 28-4 win in the series opener there last year before returning to lose the decider.

The game three clash has yet to be sold out, with NRL officials expecting a crowd of less than 50,000 people.

"There's nothing hard about it anymore. It's such a wonderful ground," Fittler said.

"All these blokes have played there.

"Every time you play Brisbane, there's at least 30-40,000 people. They've all played, the atmosphere will be different and it'd be hard to say how different it will be given we're 2-0 up.

"It'd be unique in one way or another."


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Source: AAP



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