Photos of the national anthem revealed NSW were desperate for a win for Freddie in game two with fans getting offside in pre-match scenes.
The Blues stood proudly together before Origin 3 in Game 2 with several players refusing to link arms.
A careful comparison of how the NSW team lined up in the second State of Origin match and how the Blues lined up on Wednesday night proves they are keen to turn the tables on Queensland.
Brad Fittler’s side were blasted in Games 1 and 2 for playing like a team of individuals rather than coming together as a team, which the Maroons are famous for.
When the teams lined up for the national anthem just before kickoff in Game 2, the Maroons wrapped their arms around each other and stood as one.
In contrast, Blues stars Jerome Luoy and Payne Haas refused to engage with their teammates and instead stood with their arms to themselves.
NSW must have gotten the message, because before Game 3 on Wednesday night, the side wrapped their arms around each other and stood together proudly as one.
The Blues looked a symbol of solidarity on Wednesday night
After Game 2 the team was criticized for playing like a team of individuals
The Blues have lost three of their last four series under Fittler, with the Maroons completing a series sweep for the first time since 2010 which could end the side’s reign in charge.
But the 51-year-old looked a surprisingly relaxed figure as he walked onto the pitch with Phil Gould during Nine’s pre-match coverage.
NSW made a number of changes for the clash in Sydney, some of which were controversial, while the Maroons managed to keep the core of their team together despite a few injuries.
Former Blues star Luke Lewis summed up the feelings of many after the loss in Game 2, citing that the players were not playing well as a group.
‘You could tell that in that group they weren’t meant for each other… I hate to see it and say it, but I could see from the beginning that it wasn’t about being an individual and being a group,’ she said.
‘We pick players based on names and what they’ve done in the past, and now it’s starting to put me off. I’m burning now.’
Jerome Luoy put in an unhappy performance in Game 2, struggling to make an impact and was sent off for a headbutt on Reece Walsh in the dying moments.
Bradman Best celebrates scoring in the first half of Origin 3
Jarome Luai and Payne Haas refused to link to their teammates during Game 2
He then blew a kiss to the crowd even though his team was losing 32-6.
To make matters worse, she then posted an Instagram story with the statement ‘Chill, all you idiots have work tomorrow morning’ accompanied by several crying happy emojis with rapper Tupac Shakur’s song ‘Me Against The World’ playing in the background.