NSW won't pursue a meeting with referees boss Tony Archer before State of Origin II with Blues players conceding Cameron Smith - hailed as "the smartest player in the game" - is well within his right to use gamesmanship to try to influence the result.
NSW's State of Origin adviser Peter Sterling says Laurie Daley is the right man to lead the state into a golden era "win, lose or draw" this year despite speculation the Blues boss is considering walking away at the end of the series.
A wiser Luke Brooks is on the verge of playing his first game for the Tigers in the post-Mitchell Moses era, but took time to defend his housemate who has endured a rocky honeymoon at Parramatta.
Josh Dugan has pledged to jump straight back to his feet – rather than take the cautious approach and stay on the ground – should he cop another whack to his mended cheekbone to avoid the NRL's "frustrating" head knock protocols in Origin II.
Josh Dugan is about to wander into camp in a casino for a week and take it as read there will be someone who will try to spray him in the corridors after doing their arse on the the blackjack table. But after giving out his own tongue-lashing, the Bulldogs ran the table to turn their fortunes around.
NSW captain Boyd Cordner could hoist the State of Origin spoils in front of a near empty Suncorp Stadium with the NRL confirming it won't stray from its decades-long policy of not presenting the interstate shield until after the series' final match.
Johnathan Thurston walked a fine line when he told the referees to "take control" - and then heeded his own advice - as the Cowboys' superstar put NSW on notice after almost single handedly skinning the Eels.
Uncertainty around timeframes for the NSW government's $1.6 billion overhaul of Sydney's stadia network is likely to persuade St George Illawarra to return more games to their suburban bases at Kogarah and Wollongong.
NRL Bunker official Jared Maxwell faces censure for skirting video review protocols and telling Ashley Klein to award a controversial try to Manly – against the advice of a sideline official – in the Sea Eagles' narrow win over the Knights.
The Victorian Government will need to appease the AFL's venue demands should it forge ahead with its preference for Melbourne to be granted hosting rights to the standalone State of Origin fixture next year.
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