NSW skipper Paul Gallen has been public enemy No.1 in Queensland for as long as he can remember.
Around 10.15pm (AEST) on Wednesday, that will all be pushed to one side when he raises the State of Origin Shield - the first Blues' captain to do so since Andrew Johns nine years ago - a moment he says will be the highlight of his career.
The Blues will toast their series victory in what's expected to be a deserted Suncorp Stadium with Queensland supporters tipped to exit en masse after the final siren.
Around five thousand tickets are still unsold, a NRL official told AAP on Tuesday, but a similar amount of Blues supporters were expected to make the trip up the Pacific Highway.
But Gallen said regardless of the size of the audience, lifting the Shield for the first time would be a moment to savour.
"It'll be nice. I played up here a few weeks ago against the Broncos and they certainly let me have it," Gallen said.
"Hopefully, they won't be too loud when we go up so I can congratulate Queensland for what they have done over the last eight years and thank our boys.
"It's something I am looking forward to and it will certainly be a career highlight."
Gallen said he wouldn't hold any hard feelings towards the home crowd if they chose to snub the presentation ceremony as he dedicated the series win to the 87 players and four coaches who had pitted their wits against the Maroons since 2006.
"That's understandable. It's up to them what they do - I am not too worried about it ... I can't wait to hold it up. I don't care if there's 55,000 here or five," he said.
"It's going to be a great moment, not just for myself and this team, but for every player and coach that's played a part over the last eight years.
"We've played against this Queensland side who've been blessed with all these great players ... and to finally beat them is a great moment in history. I can't wait to hold that trophy up."
Gallen makes his 18th Blues appearance on Wednesday and has put behind him for now the pressures of skippering a Cronulla club caught in the crosshairs of the ASADA investigation.
The 32-year-old and the Sharks have been under constant scrutiny since the infamous 'darkest day in Australian sport' media conference in February last year.
He spoke openly last month about the stress it had placed on him and his family and NSW coach Laurie Daley and his teammates had been blown away at his ability to lead under such pressure.
"Gal is a fantastic captain. I couldn't ask for anyone better," Daley told AAP.
"He has been a great servant to NSW over the years and throughout this series. No one deserves to win this series more than him."
Blues vice-captain Robbie Farah is widely seen as Gallen's successor-in-waiting, but the Wests Tigers' hooker hopes that day is still a long way off.
"I hope Gal sticks around for as long as he can," Farah said.
"I love playing under him and I think I speak for all the boys. It's been a tough 18 months for him at club level.
"But I think coming here in camp helps him get away from everything.
"We've never noticed anything different from him. He's the skipper we need him to be."
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