The Mole: Blues must be brave and axe three players for Origin decider including star hooker

The time has come for Laurie Daley and the NSW selectors to get fair dinkum and pick the Blues team on form for the Origin decider in Sydney on Wednesday week.

Looking at the series so far, the Blues were only average in game one and finished on top of a Queensland team that beat themselves.

In game two they paid a heavy price for ill discipline and while they finished strongly, they couldn't overhaul a pumped up Queensland side and an outrageous 12-2 penalty count.

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Now it all comes down to this - and changes need to be made or the series will be lost.

First and foremost, they need to come up with a hooker capable of matching it with Harry Grant, who made up for his shocker in game one with a starring performance in Perth.

In Reece Robson, the Blues have a gritty defensive player who holds up the middle well but lacks the finesse of Grant out of dummy half.

Veteran Api Koroisau fits the bill perfectly and has the speed and skill out of dummy half to hold his own against Harry.

His defence has been questioned at times - but he topped the Tigers' tackle count last weekend and has been in good form in an inconsistent team.

The other thing the Blues have lacked throughout the series is fear factor up front.

This is where I would make a dual change, bringing in Souths colossus Keaon Koloamatangi and out-of-favour Tiger Terrell May.

Queensland are more than happy to take on Stefano Utoikamanu and Max King in the battle up front - and that's precisely why NSW need to spice things up.

On form, Koloamatangi should have been among the first players picked.

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He has led the Souths pack all season and ran for 232 metres in the wet against the Storm last weekend.

Compare Koloamatangi's numbers to those of Max King in Perth (25 minutes for 47 metres) and the choice of who to play up front in the decider seems very straightforward.

King is a good solid first grader but lacks the impact to be a success at Origin level at this stage of his career.

Combine Koloamatangi with Broncos machine Payne Haas and the Maroons will struggle to hold the Blues.

How Utoikamanu got picked is a mystery to me. He had just five carries for 41 metres in Perth and never got into the game.

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Put May on the bench and he will rip and tear when thrown into the fray - just what Queensland won't want.

He is clearly off with the men that matter and won't get picked - but he would be in my side every day of the week.

The backline fired in the second half in Perth and I wouldn't make changes - provided Nathan Cleary overcomes his groin problem.

THE MOLE'S NSW BLUES 17 FOR ORIGIN III

1. Dylan Edwards

2. Brian To'o

3. Stephen Crichton

4. Latrell Mitchell

5. Zac Lomax

6. Jarome Luai

7. Nathan Cleary

8. Keaon Koloamatangi

9. Api Koroisau

10. Payne Haas

11. Liam Martin

12. Angus Crichton

13. Isaah Yeo

14. Connor Watson

15. Spencer Leniu

16. Hudson Young

17. Terrell May