Mal Meninga was on hand at New South Wales’ final training run on ANZ Stadium on Tuesday. Yes you heard correctly – Big Mal was at Blues training.

As head coach of the Australian Kangaroos, Meninga made an appearance after an invitation from Blues coach Laurie Daley.

“I’m the Australian coach, that’s what brings me here today,” Meninga said.

“When it comes to Origin, these games matter from my perspective because I want to pick the best team for Australia.

“Showing my face here, it’s part of my role. It’s part of what I do now.

“It’s nice to be invited by Laurie and the team to come again, so that’s why I’m here.

“I sit on the fence now. Obviously I’m a Queenslander and I’ve been involved in Queensland for a number of years, but at the end of the day, I love rugby league.”

Blues skipper Paul Gallen was perplexed when he first spotted Meninga.

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw him just then too be honest,” Gallen said.

“It’s a bit weird because he’s been at the forefront for them (Queensland) for so long.

“At this time of year they’re the enemy, so it’s a bit different.”