Johnathan Thurston with the latest from Camp Maroon 11:53

Time to go to Queensland! Where is Sydney? That's in Queensland! Where is Fiji? That's in Queensland! On the continuous call team, the Queensland Report. Queensland's everywhere! Queensland's everywhere! Yes, any opportunity to play that wonderful song by Dennis Carnahan. We check in with the Queensland Maroons, their assistant coach, league legend, all-round good bloke and Channel 9 commentator. Here's Jonathan Thurston, he's on the line. Hello, JT! Hello!

G'day boys, how are you? Mate, very well. How's everything going along? Because apparently you're Queenslanders, so that's going to hold you in good stead because you're Queenslanders. One of your best leagues, mate. Thank you. Where is Queensland? What's in Queensland? That's in Queensland. How's the week been, mate? Yeah, it's been pretty good.

Had a few sessions now, so yeah, the boys putting their best foot forward. Obviously, game two was pretty hard to take, so yeah, we've dealt with that and we're working on what needs to be done for Wednesday night.

I'm pretty sure there'll be a response from the Queenslanders. I mean, they've all got a bit of pride about them and it just wasn't good enough what they dished up in that first half in game two. And I'm sure they'd be well aware of that. I don't know whether you guys need to

ram that down their throat. I'm sure there's a few of them walking around thinking, well, we know we've got to be better because you do have to be better. Yeah, we need to be a lot better. Normally when you get into camp, you've got to spring in your step. Yeah, it was just a

A bit different first day of camp. The boys coming in, obviously, you know, you play this game, it's a brutal game and you want to be the best that you can be every time that you go out there and take the field. And, you know, we weren't at our best and that's what happens. So the boys were a little bit sheepish coming in and,

Like I said, we've dealt with Game 2 now and we're just trying to get the boys as coaches primed for Wednesday night. Obviously, as coaching staff too, we had to have a good look at ourselves. That's what we all did as players. When you put in a performance like that, you've got to firstly look at yourself and then get that right and you feel as though that's what we're doing at the moment.

JT, the selection of Calum Ponger, he's played one game back from a long-term injury. I think it's an extremely risky move, but sometimes high risk reads big rewards. How will he be played, do you think? Will he be played in the middle of the field? Where will he come on?

Yeah, I haven't actually spoken to Bill about that at the moment. That's a lie. Lies. Lies. You've been training for a week and you haven't spoken to Billy Slater. How are you going to use the bench? Can you stop bagging one of the greatest Queenslanders of all time? I'm not bagging him. I'm just saying that's a lie. He's not a liar, John.

He's been there for the game in three days' time and he doesn't know how to use the bench. I'm not going to tell you, Gail. I know that. Okay, okay. I understand that. But for the Queensland fans out there who are listening to that, who love their team, the Queensland, the blokes, the people he didn't turn up for on the first day of camp. He's been filling in everywhere. Everywhere. Fair enough. Fair enough. Yeah, so that's in Queensland.

He's been really impressive when he's been on the field. I've been impressed with him. Obviously, he's had a lot of time away from footy, but with his injury, he's come back in really good nick. From watching the vision and him training, he's looking very sharp.

I was going to ask you, JT. Yeah, I feel as though probably the last two years, the pennies sort of dropped with Kalen. We always knew he had this potential to be one of the

one of the form players of the competition, but I feel as though, yeah, the last two years, especially the last 18 months at Newcastle, he's really stood up for that side. And when he's played in the Queensland jersey, especially his last game here in the Moran jersey, he was outstanding. So, yeah, I've been really impressed with his work ethic, you know, his professionalism. He's a very relaxed dude, but like I said, he's, you know, the Penny

Penny sort of dropped with him and yeah, he's playing some good footy. Obviously, he's only just got back but the vision from what I've seen, yeah, he's looking very sharp. Yeah, JT, mate, I love you but I know you're not going to tell us the truth about anything. That's why I wasn't sure why we got you on. How dare you? But I'll ask you anyway. How's Harry? He's obviously at the start of the week but obviously fresh, ready to go.

Yeah, he's been good. He's been really sharp out of the dummy half. Yeah, he's a

I suppose, for me, standards. He'll be looking to put in a really good performance on Wednesday night. It probably hasn't been his best series to date, but he certainly has that look in his eye. And, you know, whenever there's an opportunity to run, he's doing that. So, yeah, he's preparing really well and he's fit to go. And I heard he's starting this time.

Is he? That's the first I heard of him. Lies! How's his shoulder? Is his shoulder okay, JT?

Is his shoulder okay? His shoulder? Yeah. Yeah, from what I've heard, anything about his shoulder. Hey, mate, I know these blokes are imbeciles here. How dare you? Just take it from your perspective. What's it actually like to play a series-deciding game at Suncorp?

from a Queenslanders perspective, just take us through that because I imagine you would have played in a number of them I would have thought. Yeah, it's a whole different beast, that's for sure. You've got 50,000 Queenslanders there cheering you on and when you need to dig in and you need that lift you certainly hear it from the crowd and you don't want to let

Obviously, your teammates down, your state down, and those 50,000 that are in the stands. So, you know, they're like an extra player for you as well. So, yeah, I played in a couple of deciders there at Suncorp Stadium. And like I said, it's a different beast. So how many deciders did you win there, Galf?

This is good stuff. Yes. That's what I wanted to hear. That's in Queensland. I remember the 2012 one where Justin Hodges was awarded a try off a shepherd. Absolute rort. Did you lose that one? No, we lost that one by a field goal. Cronk kicked a 41-meter field goal. Come on, Gally. You just had to give it back to him. The first try was a joke. You need to move on. Mate, I can't move on from that one.

They were good enough without needing the help from certain people. Paul, the great Jonathan Thurston has just given it to you, saying when was the last decide of you and that's the best you've got? Well, I never won one there. Give it back to him. What do you want me to say? I never won one. Stand up for New South Wales. That's like you saying to Ray Mundo, when's the last time you were on television? I mean, that's just shocking. Unbelievable. If I see JT Wednesday night when the result goes our way, just be prepared. LAUGHTER

Jonathan, you know we love you. You're a colleague of ours on Channel 9, but at this time of the year, we despise you. That's just the nature of the beast, my friend. Yep. We both feel the same. See you Wednesday, mate. Thanks, boys. Thanks for having me. Good on you, buddy. You're one nature's gentleman. There he is, the great Jonathan Thurston. We always have a bit of fun. What about last night? I got a message from somebody over in Perth going, Mark, you should be a neutral commentator. There's no need for you to bash up Queenslanders. But I said...

Listen, it's State of Origin time. It's part of the beauty about State of Origin. I mean, you can't win. One minute you get labelled a New South Wales cheerleader and then you dare to be critical of something New South Wales does. Anyway, don't get me started. Don't start on the cheerleader stuff, Levy.

Have you got the pom-poms? Yeah, where are the pom-poms? Have you still got them? I've got the pom-poms. I've got them all there. See, he led the way for game two for you blokes. Yeah. Absolutely. He did. Down in Melbourne. No, well, he didn't. It wasn't as if he was shaking them, but from the start of whenever it started, the day after you lost game one, Levy was on the...

On the rampage, weren't you, saying, I'm going to be a cheerleader again, I don't care. I was supportive last year when all the certain journos wanted to hammer Brad Fittner and everything else. I stuck solid with my state. And there needs to be more support in New South Wales for the Blues. And you know what? What? You're unsuccessful in your support. They lost. 34-0 at halftime. Get that up, yeah. Yeah, well, we'll see. What's a sniff for? Because I think Queensland will beat you, so get that up. Do you actually think they'll beat us? Yeah, I do.

You know what? It ain't going to be easy because you've got a damn good side. But I think the Queenslanders have got a lot to... They'll have a lot of little niggly bits inside. They've got nothing. No, they've got plenty. They'll be hard to beat. I think our forwards are going to be strong. If you look at that forward pack, the Queensland forward pack, they've got some good players there, don't get me wrong. I think Pat Carrier's probably the best lock.

in the game at the moment. But overall, I think our four-pack's way too strong. Our bench is way too powerful. Just look at your side. Just a serious question for you, Damien. I've asked Gal about this before. The intensity of playing at Suncorp Stadium as a New South Welshman.

obviously it gets a bit feral, but is there anything like it you've experienced in your rugby league career? No, nothing like it. And obviously because they've got a bit of help from, you know, the 10 they get up there. It's quite a short 10. I see your bag of the refs as well. I didn't say it was a short 10. Fair enough. But no, it is. It's very loud. It's a great atmosphere to play in front of. But yeah, that's where you've got to be, you know, spot on with knowing your role as a team and trusting your teammate that when you can't hear anything, you know what to go back to. But mate,

Mate, they're in your face from the start and that's why the big difference in Game 3 will be compared to Game 2 that they're going to come out swinging Queensland. And I believe New South Wales have got a much better pack

as well, so they've just got to manage that and then get them after it. I find it, I know it's going to be all pro-Queensland up there, but do you actually, you hear the noise, but you don't hear what they're saying, do you? I mean, you probably hear the roar if Blues drop a ball or something like that. Does that affect you in a negative way? Yeah, I hear the roar, whether it's, sometimes, if there's enough New South Wales fans there, you'll hear a chant, both sides, Queensland as well, but

It's just a roar, isn't it, Gala? You just can't hear a thing. It's just non-stop noise. And honestly, you do have to get your preparation perfectly because as we've

We've all said the noise, you can't hear the bloke next to you, that's about it. So you can't hear a half-back 10, 20 metres away from you yelling out what the play is. You've got to get to a certain part of the field, and when someone gets to that part of the field, you've got to know what's coming next. And that's the big thing about the preparation. I reckon you'd hear someone bag you from about 100 metres away. You'd say, what did you say?

You'd know exactly that. I carry on here with you, but no, I'd never heard it. I hear the noise. It's a loud noise. Well, I'll say this as a bloke who's a broadcaster of the game. The atmosphere at Suncorp for an origin is unlike anything I've ever experienced. Anywhere, and I've been to Olympic Games and other sporting events, it is, I probably shouldn't use the word feral, but it just goes to another level.

No, it's feral. The animosity, the hatred that's levelled the way of the New South Welshmen. And when the Queenslanders get on the Bundy rum and all that sort of thing, it's quite the atmosphere. So if you've never done it, do yourself a favour. Go along to Suncorp Stadium to a State of Origin match. Doesn't have to be a decider, any State of Origin game. They're quite extraordinary to experience.