So why do NSW keep doing the same things that weren't successful and hope that, somehow, the result changes?

It borders on pigheadedness, or arrogance, some sort of - unfounded, the results would say - belief that what they are trying to do in terms of their on-field approach is 100 per cent correct and that when it doesn't work they just have to do it better, rather than change it.

Tell me, what did the Blues do differently in their 32-6 game-two loss to the Maroons at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Wednesday night to what they did when they went down 26-18 to them in game one of the series in Adelaide?

And, before the series had even begun, what major adjustments did they make from last year to this year?

The introduction of Billy Slater as Queensland coach last year has been one of the most significant turnaround developments in Origin history.

NSW coach Brad Fittler had steered the Blues to three series wins in four years before that, but there were still question marks.

Like when they lost the 2020 series they had looked destined to win on paper. Yes, I know, on paper ...

Predictions have mostly not been worth the paper they've been written on when it comes to tipping against Queensland teams with their backs to the wall, but that still looked like a safe one.

And failing to complete a clean sweep in 2021 after winning the first two games by a combined score of 76-6.

Results like that have been typical of NSW throughout Origin history and that's why you can never get comfortable when the Blues have a run of success.

Usually, it ends up exploding in their faces, and, guess what? It's happened again.

Slater now has a win-loss record of 4-1 in Origin games coaching against Fittler and there is nothing misleading about that statistic.

He has picked teams to suit a playing style he believed the players he had at his disposal were capable of pulling off.

And in defence he has made NSW pay for their apparent obsession with a playing style based largely on what the Penrith team - from which many key Blues players have been selected - have done successfully in the NRL.

It has looked effective at times, but more often than not it hasn't come off and the reasons are clear.

As hard as it is to succeed in the NRL, it's harder to succeed in Origin.

Well-devised tactics put into practice by quality players - such as those employed by the Panthers in their premiership-winnings seasons of 2021 and last year - have a high probability of being successful because the opposition is going to face a tough challenge in trying to cope with it.

The weaker teams - forget about it. Even the stronger teams eventually had moments where a weak link was exposed and the Panthers got what they were looking for. When the Panthers were forced into a genuine contest, they just stuck at it and usually wore the opposition down over time.

But Origin is the best against the best, so success is naturally harder to come by. And Slater and his assistants on the coaching staff came up with ways to blunt that Penrith-influenced NSW approach that have now resulted in two straight series wins.

NSW lock Isaah Yeo often takes the ball as first receiver on the right and then attempts to set up for the players outside him.

But the Queensland defence are well drilled in the challenge and have had enough practice at it in Origin games. On Wednesday night they just ate that approach up.

The defence moved up and if Yeo ran with the ball two defenders combined to tackle him. If he passed, the defence was ready to either jam in on the player who received the ball or slide well enough to competently handle any further danger beyond that.

When NSW attacked to the left the wider players tended to come from deeper, but the defence reacted quickly all the time to still put them under pressure.

It didn't help that Damien Cook, a hooker, was out there off the bench after just three minutes to replace injured centre Tom Trbojevic, but where were the grubber kicks in-behind that advancing defence to try to take advantage of empty space?

And why was Cook sent out there to replace Trbojevic anyway? Cameron Murray was on the bench as well - surely he would've been a better option.

Murray is regarded as one of the best forwards in the NSW squad, but didn't take the field until seven minutes after half-time. He had gone into camp under an injury cloud, but if he's in the team then he must be considered fit to play so why didn't he get more time? He should've been starting.

As the tide has turned against NSW going back to game one of last year's series, Fittler has faced legitimate criticism over some of his team selections, player rotations during matches and tactics in general.

He's a good person and he has done a lot for the NSWRL off the field as well as winning three series as coach, but the results have gone sour. Surely his time in the job is over after this series. A number of his players appear to have arrived at the end of their run too.

Whoever NSW get to coach them next year he'd better be damn good, because Queensland under Slater are humming.

MORE IN SPORT:

To see more stories and read today's paper download the Newcastle Herald news app here.