BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

New South Wales State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has never been one to shy away from selecting his Blues sides on gut feel.

It has raised eyebrows in the past but it has also meant results – the Blues are yet to lose a series under Fittler.

Just this week hulking prop David Klemmer learned he wouldn’t be needed in the 27-man squad despite being one of the best front-rowers in the game and a veteran of 14 Origin matches.

Fittler has form but he keeps getting it right.

That’s all New South Welshmen should care about.

“It’s incredibly tough to pick these players because Klem’s been a big part of what we’ve been doing,” Fittler told Wide World of Sports on 2GB.

“At all times, we always make sure that we’re putting the jersey at heart.

“The thing we have on our side at the moment is time.”

In 2018, Fittler dropped debutant Matt Prior after just one game. The Blues actually won that match and clinched the series. Fittler picked Prior specifically for that clash at ANZ Stadium. He replaced Prior for another Origin rookie in Tariq Sims in Game III.

Sims was the 13th first-timer selected by Fittler in 2018.

Of all the rookies in 2018, Ryan James was not one of them, despite being close to scoring his first sky blue jersey on several occasions.

It just never happened.

“I had to ring Ryan James and that was a tough phone call,” Fittler told Triple M at the time.

“We were sort of organising for Ryan to come down and then I had to call him to let him know that he wasn’t in the team.”

No hard feelings… it’s just ‘Freddyball’.

Cody Walker was having a forgettable night in Game I last year – Fittler dragged him.

Dropped Latrell Mitchell.

Brought back Mitchell Pearce for one last chance at glory in Game III.

It’s easy to sit back and question Fittler or his decisions but the fact is NSW are two games away from a three-peat.

We can’t understand Brad Fittler because we are not Brad Fittler.

Heading into Game I of the 2018 series (his first since replacing Laurie Daley), Fittler wanted to make it clear to his side that it was all about them and what they wanted to do. For years the Blues had spent all their time in dark rooms, analyzing every murderous Queensland win through their golden run.

The story goes that Blues players in camp in Melbourne started wondering when they were going to start doing video on the Maroons.

This was less than 48 hours before kick-off.

Fittler’s Blues won Game I and Game II.

Freddyball.

@woodward_curtis