NSW have laid bare the defensive perils of Darius Boyd's expected shift to centre for Queensland in next week's State of Origin II clash.
Test fullback Boyd has never played centre in Origin, while his last full match there was way back in early 2009 for St George Illawarra.
Maroons coach Kevin Walters will clarify his starting lineup on Thursday, when it's anticipated Boyd will be confirmed as left centre alongside debutant winger Valentine Holmes.
That would have them marking up against the Australian Test wing-centre combination of Ferguson and Josh Dugan.
There's some irony to it, as it was only weeks ago that Queensland were vowing to target former NSW fullback Jarryd Hayne in his first outing as a Blues centre in Game I.
Hayne had at least played his previous three club games there.
The mooted Boyd centre move, following fullback Billy Slater's recall, surprised Ferguson.
"I've always seen Darius as a winger when Billy is playing for Queensland - so you probably would have thought he'd play on the wing," he said.
"You get more decisions to make and your decisions are probably the hardest (at centre).
"You either go out the back or hit the lead runner, and there will be a bit more tackling for him."
Ferguson also warned it can take up to three days just to learn new defensive edge combinations - a chore the Blues won't have to worry about after selecting the same 17 that won the series opener 28-4.
"Everyone knows each other and we don't really have to muck around and try and tinker with things in defence," Ferguson said.
"You probably lose three days (learning defensive combinations). Trying to get how your inside defends with you."
Ferguson has only ever played on the wing at State of Origin level, but Dugan has regularly moved between fullback and centre.
And while both backed Boyd's class to make him a danger in attack, Dugan warned the position was also physically challenging.
"Every now and then you do need a breather," Dugan said.
"It's a different kind of fitness just going up and down off the ground and having to put your head in certain spots to make those tackles."
Ferguson said the Blues would look for ways to ways to exploit the fledgling Boyd-Holmes combination if it was confirmed.
"We'll sit down and look at some video and see how we go there and try and conjure something up," he said.
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