Andrew Johns finished off what he had started in game two.

It was the most dominant back-to-back combination of games produced by a NSW player up to that point - and it hasn't been matched by a Blues player since.

There's a strong argument to say no Queenslander - even going back to "King" Wally Lewis - has ever put two Origin games back-to-back like Johns did in 2005, although Maroons fans would probably choke at the suggestion.

Now Nathan Cleary, after his sensational performance in game two of the current series, gets the chance to complete a Joey-like double at Suncorp on Wednesday.

Is he capable of pulling it off? You bet he is - and he's going to have to be for the Blues to win, because this will be a different game again to the one in which they levelled the series with a 44-12 win in Perth.

Just like that game was different to the one in which Queensland scored an upset 16-10 win to open the series in Sydney.

Maroons coach Billy Slater knows the potential strength of the Queensland psyche as well as anyone.

Either he never seriously considered making significant changes to the team for this game or he liked the idea but resisted the temptation.

The only change to the 17 was a forced one, with second-rower Felise Kaufusi out due to well-documented personal reasons, and now Slater will look to his players to repay that faith with an improved performance. Expect them to lift and put the Blues under a lot of physical pressure early.

Kaufusi left his imprint on the series in game two - but not how he would have liked. He was sin-binned late in the first half and during the time he was off the Blues took the lead for good. The Maroons didn't score another point.

There was a mountain of post-match debate about whether Kaufusi should have been sin-binned, but of course he should've.

Coming straight after the Blues had been awarded a six-again for Queensland delaying the play-the- ball, Blues prop Junior Paulo crashed at the line and was brought down just short by two defenders.

Kaufusi was third man into the tackle and, standing over the already-tackled player, he used his legs to sandwich Paulo's head whilst holding him down with both hands. For eight seconds!

But that was at a neutral venue, where it must be easier for a referee to keep his mind on an even keel as he tries to maintain control of the fastest-paced, most intense and ferociously competitive type of game that we get in rugby league.

Suncorp is a different beast - with the accent on beast.

The parochial crowd will see it as their duty to help lift the Maroons over the line by roaring in support of them and registering their disgust at the same jumbo jet-like volume for any refereeing decision not in their team's favour.

They will bay for NSW blood as well, not that we see much blood these days since rival players belting each other with clenched fists is a thing of the past. Doesn't mean fans can't bay for it though. You pay your money at the gate . . .

But shutting out home-town crowd support and refereeing the game on its merits represents a major challenge for even the most experienced of referees at this level.

Have you been to Suncorp for an Origin game? It's a unique experience. You could understand a referee perhaps reacting to that atmosphere by subconsciously favouring the home side with a decision or two - particularly when it comes to 50-50 calls.

The ruck will again be key and if Ashley Klein referees it the same as he did in games one and two that should suit NSW more than it will Queensland.

The Maroons won the ruck in game one by delaying the play-the-ball just long enough to give them that valuable extra fraction of a second to get their defensive line set and on the front foot, but not long enough to force Klein to come raining down on them with penalties.

The Blues should have done better to adjust on the run to how the game was being refereed that night.

But they appeared to get a result out of the loss anyway through their coach, Brad Fittler, complaining about the play-the-ball in front of the media afterwards.

Then, NSW played the ruck much better themselves in game two and when they put the Maroons under increasing pressure towards the end of the first half they got the decisions they wanted and it swung momentum in their favour.

As it should have, by the way, because the Blues were earning it at the time.

The adjustment by the Blues in game two meant Cleary wasn't so often quickly met by defenders the way he had been in game one.

He got reasonable space in which to try to do what he can do and he made the most of it in a man-of-the-match performance.

Just like "Joey" Johns led a carve-up of the Maroons to level the series with a game-two win all those years ago.

That, in my humble opinion, was the best game Johns ever played.

And I reckon his performance in game three was in his top five.

Cleary's effort in Perth must have been close to his best performance for either NSW or Penrith to date.

Now he must produce another game out of the top drawer. It's going to be fun watching him try.