Green brushes off Origin future concerns
Paul Green has bristled at questions over his future as Queensland coach as pressure mounts to prevent a State of Origin clean sweep by NSW next Wednesday night.
The Maroons mentor started his Origin coaching career in the worst possible manner, with a 6-76 point deficit across the first two games of the series questioning his suitability for the job.
The ex-North Queensland coach signed a one-year deal with the QRL to take over at the Maroons following Wayne Bennett's unlikely series victory at the end of 2020.
And after two thumpings in Queensland, including a record-breaking loss in game one, the drums are beating.
"It's not surprising given the way the series has panned out," he said of the pressure on Tuesday, admitting he'd like to stay on in the job.
"It's been challenging but I'm definitely enjoying it. My focus is on Wednesday night, nothing further than that.
"There's an option there (for next year).
"I'm not worried about my future here, we need to have a good performance."
The Maroons have named their most dangerous squad of the three-game series for Wednesday's game - the location of which is yet to be decided.
The team entered camp on the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning determined to avoid their first white-wash loss since 2000.
Green is confident new selections could spur success in Origin III and years to come.
North Queensland's Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow's speed and ascension to stardom in the NRL prompted the ex-Cowboys coach to shift Kurt Capewell to the back-row and replace him with the 'Hammer' in the centres.
His biggest test will be marking red-hot NSW centre Tom Trbojevic, who has so far scored four tries this series.
"If we didnt' have confidence in him, we wouldn't have picked him," Green said.
"He's a guy with a future in the Maroons jersey so we'll give him his chance this game.
"He's got speed which you all know about ... the other thing I like about him is whenever he's had to come up to a level, he stepped up to the mark and he'll need to do that again."
It won't be the same NSW outfit that handed Queensland two embarrassing losses with Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and Daniel Saifiti all ruled out through injury.
Parramatta's Mitchell Moses will debut in the halves alongside Jack Wighton, who's been shifted from the interchange.
"He's (Moses) been playing well, his club side's been going well so you know obviously he's got a good kicking game. I'm sure he'll fit in well there," he said.
"They've certainly got plenty of confidence, they've had two good performances under their belt so I think anyone who comes into that environment are probably going to feed off that."
