Fittler wants Blues to embrace the hate
Brad Fittler believes there's no preparing the Suncorp Stadium rookies for what awaits them on Sunday night, instead asking NSW to embrace the hate.
The Blues coach is the most-capped NSW player in history with 31 games for the state but even he has a losing record at the Queensland fortress.
In 14 State of Origin games at Suncorp Stadium Fittler won just six, and as a coach, he's yet to claim a victory with there with the Blues team.
James Tedesco is the only player in the Blues side to have won a game at Suncorp Stadium, with the rest either on debut at the ground or staring down a daunting trend.
And after last year's shock loss against an understrength Queensland side in game three, the Blues still face an enormous task to win the series on Sunday night.
"A few of them haven't played in big occasions (at Suncorp Stadium)," Fittler said on Saturday night after a closed captain's run at the ground.
"Jarome (Luai) was there last year from the point of view of being on the sideline as the ball boy in the last game.
"There's a couple who haven't played there on big occasions.
"But they've watched them their whole life growing up; it's very hard to prepare them for the atmosphere, so I think it's better just to enjoy it."
The hostile Queensland crowd will have a little extra volatility in it after Blues players sent home family and friends on Saturday due to lockdown orders in some parts of NSW.
A COVID-19 cluster has forced thousands of Blues fans to forfeit their tickets, which will then be snapped up by Queensland-based fans.
Fittler tips that extra boost of support will give the Maroons another push to level the series, with the humiliation of a 50-6 defeat in Townsville already stinging their pride.
"They rise normally (when playing at Suncorp Stadium)," Fittler said.
"It's a great oval. The stadium is incredible.
"I'm sure it's very encouraging when it's full and they run out and the crowd is behind them, it's also the same for us when you run out and the crowd is against you.
"It's an amazing feeling."
