The Blues had harboured concerns about the height of their wingers from last year’s series, Addo-Carr and Brian To’o, under aerial bombardments from Queensland’s kickers, and plumped for the giant Daniel Tupou, who will help them with yardage out of the back field.

Asked if he thought it was strange Fittler had seemingly picked a side to counter Queensland’s line-up given the Blues’ recent dominance, Slater said: “I don’t think he has. I don’t know whether he’s come out and said that, but Freddy has picked his best team. They’re a bloody good team.

“We’re very respectful for who we’re playing and we know their strengths. Although they haven’t got Tom [Trbojevic] and Latrell [Mitchell], I see different strengths in the players who have come into those positions.

“By no means have we looked at them any different to how we would have looked at them if they had the Fox [Addo-Carr], Latrell and Tom in there.”

Much like Fittler, Slater has already indicated he won’t be playing ducks and drakes with his team selection despite surprisingly naming Ben Hunt at starting hooker ahead of Harry Grant.

The Melbourne rake missed the first few days of Maroons camp with a bad bout of the flu.

‘I had no idea how I was going to feel [being Maroons coach], and what I was going to feel. I’m really proud to be here.’

Billy Slater

Apart from having Smith and Thurston as part of his support staff, Slater has used Queensland legend Wally Lewis to speak to his squad as he finds his feet as coach of the state after Paul Green’s ill-fated stint last year.

But it’s the vision of the late Immortal Beetson leading Queensland onto the old Lang Park which is fuelling Slater’s desire to wrest recent Origin supremacy away from NSW.

“I wasn’t even born, but I have this memory of a vision of Arthur Beetson running out onto Lang Park in 1980 and [Wally Lewis] just spoke [to our squad] about that year, and what it meant to that group of players, and what it meant to Queensland.

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“It’s really strange actually. I had no idea how I was going to feel [being Maroons coach], and what I was going to feel. I’m really proud to be here. I’m proud to put a Queensland shirt on every day and go down to have breakfast.

“Off the field, I’m having conversations with Selwyn and about his upbringing, his family and where he is now, about Cherbourg and the kids running around the schoolyard and what they’re feeling right now because one of their own is playing for Queensland. To have a young, shy guy like that from the country open up and be comfortable talking about that stuff, that’s what’s really impressing me at the moment.

“And our guys know who they’re playing for. When you play for Queensland, you understand who you’re playing for.”

Watch the State of Origin series exclusively live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now.