The conversation about New South Wales' hooker lineup has become a central theme as the State of Origin decider approaches.
Changes are anticipated in Laurie Daley's lineup, and it's essential for the Blues to revert to their two-pronged hooking strategy, similar to their approach in Game 1. In this scenario, Blayke Brailey should reclaim his position as the second hooker.
After suffering a fractured arm, Brailey was unable to play in Game 2, which opened the door for Api Koroisau to step in. However, since Koroisau did not see any action in Melbourne, it strongly supports the argument for NSW to return to their intended hooker combination.
Despite Brailey's Origin debut being cut short at just 31 minutes, he made a notable impact.
When he took to the field, NSW was down 20-6 and struggling to create scoring opportunities. The team had been hindered by errors and a lack of discipline, which kept them from effectively escaping their half.
For a hooker stepping into such a challenging situation, the task is straightforward in theory yet hard in practice: deliver precise service, manage the ruck, and make judicious choices under pressure.
Brailey accomplished this well.
He ended with a try assist and offered the necessary composure for NSW as the dynamics of the game began to shift. Despite missing two tackles, he also recorded 14 tackles during a phase where the Blues dominated possession post-Kalyn Ponga's controversial sending-off.
His impact went beyond mere statistics.