South Sydney hooker Damien Cook believes New South Wales should be awarded at least two State of Origin matches next year.
This follows the announcement Game 3 will be moved from Newcastle to the Gold Coast after COVID restrictions continue to tighten in NSW.
“We’d probably have to even it up next year. I think it would be great to have at least two of the games in NSW, even if that means one in Newcastle,” Cook told the Daily Telegraph.
“It would be nice to give them (NSW fans) a couple of games. That would be my biased opinion but then again they did have all three games in Queensland."
“A lot of NSW fans have supported us and they’ve done everything they could to get to the games. It would be a great way to say thank you to NSW fans.”
The Blues fought through adversity and travel and are on the brink of sweeping the Maroons. If successful it would only be the eighth 3-0 clean sweep in Origin history. It would be the first series to have all three matches played in one state.
Cook understands how close the Blues are to making history, and isn't holding back in game 3.
“None of us here have won all three games, a whitewash, and it hasn’t been done for a long time. It’s very rare,” Cook said.
“Yes, we have won the series, but to finish with a win in Queensland, after playing all three games up there … it’s all there for the taking.
“And after playing all games up there in Queensland, it would be the perfect way to finish the series off. This is why we have to go out there and do everything we can to finish the series on a high, so we can look back on what we achieved.”
Blues coach Brad Fittler is disappointed for fans that they cannot finish their season in front of a home crowd. His team however remains unfazed with the challenge ahead.
"It's disappointing that we can't play at Newcastle, and play in front of a NSW crowd," Fittler told NRL.
"But we will play anywhere, anytime."
NSWRL CEO David Trodden believes that if his team were to win against Queensland, that they would achieve something that will never be replicated.
“As you would expect we are disappointed for all our fans in NSW who don’t have the opportunity to celebrate this great team winning the series," Trodden said to NRL.
"But given the circumstances around the COVID-19 outbreak in NSW we understand the decision and are grateful for the opportunity to still play Game Three."
"Our goal is still the same, regardless of where we play. We want to make it a clean sweep and if we were to become the first Blues team in 21 years to do that, and do it by winning all three games in Queensland, that would probably be a record that will never be broken.”
Having fallen behind two games to nothing, Queensland is entering the matchup without star second-rower Jai Arrow. He has been ruled out after breaking COVID protocols in an infamous party held during the Sydney lockdown.
Instead, Queensland is hoping an injection of youth is enough to make the difference and end the series in a more respectful manner.
Queensland Kurt Capewell is bullish about his side, and despite their record believes his team has enough to win game three.
"(Winning game three) That's the No.1 goal. It would be a pretty crappy feeling to have a clean sweep against us," Capewell said.
"We have come together and have a goal, that's to win the Origin game next week - that's our sole focus,"
"We got together (after Arrow's exit) and it hasn't changed anything."
Game 3 kicks off on Wednesday the 14th of July at 8:10pm (AEST), with it to be held at CBus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.
