League: Blues put heat on Carney, Pearce

Blues coach Ricky Stuart speaks to Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce during a training session. Photo / Getty Images

Days of rain will make it a night for the mudlarks, but NSW concede halves Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce have to fire for the Blues to stand any chance of sending the State of Origin series to a decider.

NSW assistant coach Trent Barrett put the spotlight firmly on the combination which failed to fire in the series opener - adding the Blues had to play "near perfect" football to beat Queensland at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday night.

Carrying the hopes of a state into his Origin debut in game one, Carney walked away with his tail between his legs - his game littered with errors and smacking of timidness.

"Toddy will be better for the run, he knows what to expect now," Barrett said.

"Certainly all signs at training and their body language around the joint is very good.

"... in speaking to Todd and how he's prepared this week - he knows what's coming and I think he'll play well."

Queensland great Darren Lockyer did little to ease the pressure on Carney.

"Origin is all about pressure, especially in the six or seven jersey," Lockyer said.

"This is only his second game in the arena and NSW have to be patient with him, but at the same time it is a must-win game for them."

According to Barrett, Carney is pivotal to that cause, with the former NSW five-eighth and skipper pinpointing the scrumbase duo along with game one star Robbie Farah as vital to NSW's success.

"I think it needs to come from one of our halves," Barrett said when asked who had to stand up for the Blues.

"Queensland historically it's their halves who have been the key for them, they've been very good in every game and we need that from Mitchell and Todd and we need it from Robbie."

And while they will have a sell-out 84,000 crowd cheering them on, NSW's playmaking trio will have to do it on a surface which has been drenched over the past few days.

While much of the focus post Origin I centered on NSW's seemingly raw deal from the referees, Barrett conceded the whistleblowers were not to blame for their Etihad Stadium meltdown.

Central to that again was Carney, his missed kicks at goal and failed touch-finder when the Blues were down to 12 men with Michael Jennings crucial in the final wash-up.

"A little bit of concentration, not finding touch on penalty kicks, a few dropped balls at dummy-half ... those are the things to add up to big results in Origin and you just can't do them," Barrett said.

"They'll be better - you won't see Billy Slater drop as many balls as he did but we've got to be better as well.

"We're going to have to be near perfect to beat them, we know they've got a good side but we can beat them."

Officials moved one of the two curtain-raisers to WIN Jubilee Oval in a bid to preserve the surface, with NSW hoping to turn around a poor recent record when they have needed to win the second game at home to send the series to a decider.

NSW never lost a game two they had to win in Sydney to keep the game alive between 1991 and 2005, but have lost two of the last three games that have featured that scenario.

- AAP