Queensland are aiming to deliver the perfect send-off for popular forward Petero Civoniceva with an unprecedented seventh straight Origin series win in front of a packed Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday.
It will be the 36-year-old Civoniceva's 33rd and last Origin appearance and the Maroons pack are desperate send him out on a high, just as they did for Darren Lockyer last year.
"We hold enormous respect for him," said fellow Queensland forward David Shillington.
"Just as Locky (Darren Lockyer) deserved a winning farewell last year, so does Petero.
"It's definitely at the forefront of our minds. We have looked up to him for so many years - we want to send him out a winner."
Both teams have been forced to make changes following the Blues' series-equalising win in Sydney.
Forward Ashley Harrison and full-back Billy Slater are missing for Queensland while New South Wales are without forward Glenn Stewart.
Maroons coach Mal Meninga switches Greg Inglis to full-back, with Dane Nielsen taking over in the centre, while Sam Thaiday is back for Harrison and Ben Te'o is preferred to Dave Taylor.
Blues coach Ricky Stuart has brought in Beau Scott for Stewart and recalls the powerful Tony Williams after he sat out game two with a back complaint.
Winger Akuila Uate is left out with Brett Morris preferred and Jarryd Hayne moving to the right flank.
By their own admission, Queensland have been nowhere near their best this series and Meninga has challenged his players to match NSW's physicality.
"I think we have been outmuscled in game one and two in particular at times, not through the entirety of the game but we have been outmuscled and it's something that we need to address," Meninga said.
Meninga believes the return of Thaiday will help in that regard.
"He's important to us, we all know that. We did miss him in Game 2, just all the work he does with the ball and off the ball as well, he's a very important part of our team," Meninga said.
"But I think it's got to be a team thing and we're not going to be stupid about it. We've got to be disciplined about the way we play.
"An aggressive mindset is not about bashing or anything like that, it's about being really aggressive mentally as well as physically."
