Relaxed Qld cancel Origin training

Unlike an intense NSW, Queensland are so confident ahead of next week's State of Origin opener that they have cancelled training on Friday.

Daly Cherry-Evans (centre) looks on during an early morning swim.

Queensland are so confident ahead of the State of Origin opener that they have cancelled training. (AAP)

In contrast to a meticulous NSW, a relaxed Queensland are so confident ahead of next week's State of Origin opener in Brisbane that they are calling off training sessions.

Leading sport scientist Dr Craig Duncan and a team of interns are overseeing daily testing of each NSW player at their Coffs Harbour camp to ensure they're at peak fitness for game one.

And Queensland?

The Maroons are so in tune with each other after eight straight series wins that they had the luxury of cancelling a planned field session and hit the gym on Friday despite coming off a rest day.

In fact, Queensland will hit the paddock for only the second time since they entered their Gold Coast camp on Monday when they take on Queensland Cup side Burleigh Bears in a friendly on Friday afternoon.

Queensland also have Saturday off before Wednesday night's series opener at Suncorp Stadium.

Maroons centre Greg Inglis could not see a problem with coach Mal Meninga's low key Origin countdown.

He said "short, sharp" training sessions worked best for players who had become so familiar that they could read each other's minds.

"We have been playing for a long time. That is probably why we have been able to cut down on our training sessions," he said.

"There is no arrogance in that comment whatsoever.

"It's just the way the big fella (Meninga) thought we needed to freshen up.

"That's why once our training starts we have to be spot on."

Unlike NSW who have rolled the dice with rookie Bulldogs halves Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson, Inglis said Queensland had already developed combinations where players did not even have to speak.

Incredibly, Inglis claimed they were so tight that he knew what Johnathan Thurston was thinking before the pivot did.

"Because we have been playing so long together we don't have to really say anything," Inglis said of winger Darius Boyd, who together have amassed an incredible 27 Origin tries.

"Once you get that combination together you know how each other plays.

"It is the same with JT (Thurston).

"Sometimes he doesn't know what he is doing but I can see it happening before he does."

Unlike the chilled Maroons, NSW are leaving no stone unturned in a bid to claim their first Origin series win since 2005.

Blues players have been given special watches in camp but they won't chime "beer o'clock" with the traditional boozy bonding night ditched by focused Blues coach Laurie Daley.

Instead players must press the watches handed out by Duncan whenever they feel tired and before they go to bed at night in order to assess sleep patterns as part of camp preparations.

The idea is to allow the scientists to assess how much work or rest each player requires to optimise their performance.

"It's amazing how much these things have moved on," said NSW reserve utility Luke Lewis, who first made his Origin debut 10 years ago.


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Source: AAP


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