Michael Maguire speaks out about daunting referee numbers NSW must overcome in Origin 3

NSW coach Michael Maguire knows history is against his side as they look to address a poor record at Suncorp Stadium in Wednesday night's State of Origin decider. Aside from the fact only two NSW sides (the classes of 1994 and 2005) have won an Origin decider in enemy territory, the Blues have also been on the wrong end of a very lopsided penalty count after coming out on top just nine times out of 60 Origin matches played in Brisbane.

The hostile atmosphere created by the Suncorp Stadium crowd is always mentioned as a huge factor behind the Maroons' dominance at home. And all eyes south of the border will be on how referee Ashley Klein handles Game 3 and what influence the pro-Queensland crowd has on the contest.

Klein is one of the best and most experienced referees in the game and took charge of the first two matches of the series. He'll have his work cut out again inside the Suncorp Stadium cauldron on Wednesday night, where a packed house of mostly Maroons fans will be baying for blood and encouraging the whistleblower to penalise the visitors at every possible opportunity.

Michael Maguire responds to penalty count concerns in QLD

Maguire says he's aware of the lopsided 51-9 penalty count against NSW in Origin games played in Queensland but says he's left no stone unturned to ensure it's not a factor in Game 3. “I’ve done all the things in the background that I need to do about that. I know what our team needs to do in and around how the game is going to be played,” the NSW coach said on Tuesday.

“I guess the numbers don’t lie, but we just have to deal with what we have to. How we control that is up to us. They’re interesting numbers, but we have to control what we can.” The Blues go into the clash as slight outsiders but will be buoyed by the 38-18 flogging of the Maroons in Game 2. Maguire's men know that getting off to a fast start like they did in Melbourne is key and Blues skipper Jake Trbojevic says they're "excited" to get the opportunity to write their own chapter in Origin folklore by winning the state's first series decider in Brisbane in 19 years.

Jake Trbojevic's Blues excited by chance to create history

“It’d be extremely special. We have a lot of confidence coming from Melbourne, and it’s a great opportunity for us to play up here,” he said. “You want to test yourself on the biggest stage, and the way it’s all worked out is really exciting for us. It’s a great test and moment of our careers to play in a decider up here, so hopefully we can go out and make a good account of ourselves.”

The Blues wanted to travel to Suncorp Stadium down the famously hostile Caxton Street on Wednesday night but those plans were scuppered due to security concerns. The NSW side did enjoy a meal along the infamous Brisbane strip on Monday night but Trbojevic said it was surprisingly quiet and the Blues didn't really face any sort of animosity from Maroons fans.

That will inevitably change come game day and Blues great Danny Buderus - who is the last man to captain NSW to a series-deciding Game 3 win in Brisbane - encouraged the NSW players to embrace the hate from Maroons fans. Maguire says while that will factor into his side's preparations, it's the opportunity for his men to leave a legacy for the state and its fans that will drive them the most.

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“Everyone talks about it (the hate) but it’s really about what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to create,” the NSW coach said. "Way back when we first started, I was fortunate enough to talk to a number of the old guys that have played in this space to get an understanding of what it means to a lot of people – not just the players – but also the people of NSW. We’ve probably hung onto that more than anything around what the players want to create and how they want to play for the people of NSW.”