The second game of this year’s State of Origin series is fast-approaching and even though the Blues are up 1-0, everyone is talking about changes.

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That is because as good as the Blues may have looked in the final 20 minutes, it is hard to ignore that all came with a one-man advantage.

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So, New South Wales can’t just go into Melbourne expecting to have the same success.

But whenever anyone talks about bringing in potential replacements, it is first important to ask one question: are they actually an Origin player?

As for what that actually means, let me explain with one example.

Take Kurt Capewell and Haumole Olakau’atu.

When considering how their form translates from club land to Origin, one of the biggest factors you have to watch is what they do under fatigue.

How do they respond when possession is against them?

I feel like this is where New South Wales gets carried away with picking players that have plenty of highlights.

To be clear, those kind of players like Olakau’atu are deserving of playing at the highest level. Their form at club level warrants it. But it doesn’t necessarily mean he will play that way in a Blues jumper.

Queensland, on the other hand, have really got an understanding of what actually translates at the top level.

Just think of a few names: Dallas Johnson, Nate Myles and, more recently, Capewell. These are players who are really able to contribute and nail their role under fatigue.

If you watched the start of Game 1 and what was asked of Olakau’atu, particularly in defence with how much effort he had to put in, you could just tell with Kurt Capewell — even if he hasn’t been as dominant in club football — there is just no comparison between their performances at Origin level.

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That’s not to say Olakau’atu can’t play a different role off the bench and contribute at Origin level, but I just think if you are going to make changes you’ve got to consider how a player will impact the game when under fatigue.

Isaah Yeo is another example of that at the moment, just like Jake Trbojevic was towards the end of his origin career.

He is able to really dominate and contribute at club level but I felt like in Game 1 and probably in the past Isaah Yeo has never really dominated at Origin level.

Under fatigue, the team tends to fall back into using him as more of a first receiver pivot playing out the back in block shape, when I think it’s just the one shape that NSW just can’t fall back into because it just nullifies any opportunity of attack or bring Cleary into the game. Nath is best at origin when he is receiving the ball first receiver in front of his forwards, on the front foot dictating.

I just don’t believe Isaah Yeo playing lock for New South Wales is the best option, which is why I would have Cam Murray there for Game 2.

Moving onto the halves, as good as Ethan Strange was, and I’m one of his biggest fans, I would put Mitch Moses straight back into the five-eighth jumper if fully healthy (can train the whole camp).

I just think it would take the pressure off Nathan to be the primary kicking option while Moses would also be better at getting the Blues organised to execute their set pieces like the Maroons did.

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I felt like watching Queensland they were unbelievable in strategically targeting the Blues.

Take James Tedesco.

He may have scored the game-winning try but Billy Slater clearly had a great understanding of Tedesco’s positioning on fifth plays and you could see that was executed perfectly with the first couple of tries, where the Maroons caught Tedesco out on kicks.

That would have been Billy Slater’s doing. He would have thought about that straight away. As for New South Wales, as much as we really didn’t get the opportunity to have a heap of good ball early, we weren’t able to nail any real set pieces and a lot of our yardage was super compressed.

Which takes us back to Moses.

Everyone loved the way that Strange played, myself included.

But with the opportunity for Moses to come in, if he’s able to, I would be taking Moses at six.

That also gives you the option to play Strange in the centres if Stephen Crichton isn’t fit because when you think about the impact he had, a lot of it was just running, dominant defence and you can still do plenty of that in the centres.

But what about Casey McLean? Surely he’s in the centres if Crichton is out? Well, I truly believe he should be starting on the wing.

I would then have Tolu Koula on the bench because I feel like he gives you that genuine option to go to fullback, centre or wing.

He is super versatile, and I’m a big believer in reducing your amount of changes in-game.

For example, if Tedesco went down you wouldn’t have to move one of the wingers or centres to fullback.

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You don’t want to have to move players around and I feel like with Koula on the bench, he’s able to slot into any of those positions effectively without moving anyone else around.

As for other changes in my Game 2 side, Payne Haas walks into the starting line-up and bumps Addin Fonua-Blake Blake back to the bench.

But there is no way I’m dropping the Sharks front rower, even if some people thought he was underwhelming in his Origin debut.

I strongly believe that if you’re going to pick someone, you need to understand that you’re not going to get their best performance in Game 1.

You’re not picking someone for a one-off game. You’re picking someone for three games.

I really believe that Addin Fonua-Blake, now with an understanding of the flow of the game and the error rate in the beginning of possession, would have learned so much.

He will really dominate in Game 2 and Game 3.

Liam Martin is also back from injury and while he didn’t play too many minutes on the weekend for Penrith, he’s another one of those players you can trust under fatigue.

The same goes for Cam Murray, who starts at lock with Yeo dropping back to the bench.

There is no space for Olakau’atu on my bench either, with recently extended Knights second rower Dylan Lucas getting the nod there. I’m a huge fan of his and think he can make a genuine impact on both sides of the ball.

No Blayke Brailey means the Blues need another option at hooker on the bench and I like Api Koroisau.

ALEX MCKINNON’S BLUES TEAM FOR GAME 2

1. James Tedesco

2. Brian To’o

3. Kotoni Staggs

4. Stephen Crichton/Ethan Strange

5. Casey McLean

6. Mitchell Moses/Ethan Strange

7. Nathan Cleary

8. Payne Haas

9. Reece Robson

10. Mitch Barnett

11. Hudson Young

12. Liam Martin

13. Cameron Murray

14. Tolu Koula

15. Isaah Yeo

16. Dylan Lucas

17. Api Koroisau

18. Addin Fonua-Blake

19. Victor Radley/ Ethan Strange