There’s not much happening in the build-up to Game 1 at Suncorp Stadium … only the best fullback to have ever played the game being left out of the Queensland squad. Our boys are here to discuss the effects of Billy Slater’s absence from the opening game of the 2017 series.

Will Johnathan Thurston play next Wednesday? Every year there seems to be an injury cloud or a virus circulating the Maroons squad which throws a cloud over who will play for the banana benders and who won’t be. The NSW side of the Dead In Goal crew isn’t buying it this year …

Then there’s the Mitchell Pearce debate: has he been given enough chances already in the NSW halves? Are the Blues outright mad for picking him yet again? We’ll find out in a few nights’ time, we guess.

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The boys also cover-off the whole timing of State of Origin: is it too damaging to the NRL season to keep playing Origin midweek while the regular season comp keeps going? Would Origin be even bigger if it was played on Saturday night with the NRL comp put on pause?

We also look at the all-time great moments in State of Origin history, we run the rule over a shortened Round 12 of the NRL, and study the “heroes” and “zeroes” of the past week.

So press the download button and have a listen. In the meantime, we’ll see you at the footy.

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(Header photo by Getty Images)