Queensland ready to play the dummy

Queensland coach Mal Meninga wants his all-star backline to get their "hands dirty" as part of a dummy half running assault in tonight's State of Origin rugby series league opener in Sydney against the Blues.

The Maroons annihilated the powerful New South Wales forward pack with quick darting runs out of dummy half last year and Meninga will utilise a similar gameplan in expected greasy conditions tomorrow.

Queensland boast some of the National Rugby League's best dummy half runners, including hooker Cameron Smith plus backs Billy Slater, Brent Tate and Greg Inglis.

"We've got a game plan and we believe in that game plan," Meninga said.

"As a team we believe if we stick to that game plan we are a great chance at being successful.

"We're not complacent, we won't underestimate them.

"Rugby league is about getting in and having a dig and you know that particularly early in the sets the big outside backs need to get involved and do a fair bit of the ruck work.

"They know they have to get their hands dirty and they know they have to get out there and play as a footy side."

But NSW skipper Danny Buderus has warned the Blues are ready for Queensland's one-out running tactics, declaring they won't be fooled for a third year running.

"They're going to come through the middle and we expect that," Buderus said.

"If you look at the games last year they blew us apart with dummy half running and we only had one or two players in the tackle.

"It's just about being consistent over a period of time and you need that to be 80 minutes in Origin.

"You can't let it be 65 (minutes) or 75 (minutes), it has got to be an 80 minute performance in defence."

Rookie Queensland winger Israel Folau recovered from his stomach virus to complete today's final session and will play tomorrow.

The other question mark over the Maroons lineup was whether Karmichael Hunt would start at five-eighth as selected or would Greg Inglis shift into pivot.

Meninga was giving no team secrets away today other than that the Maroons were confident they would kick start their campaign for a hat-trick of series wins on the right foot tomorrow.

"There's a certain amount of self belief in the footy side,' he said.

"There's a certain amount of belief in each other.

"Origin footy is about who stands up on the night and wants to put in for their mates and that's the way we approach it."

- AAP