NSW

After the bitter blow of losing to Queensland Maroons in Brisbane first time out, a thumping 38-6 victory for the Blues in Game II was a stark contrast.

Yet ahead of this week's crucial game, Queensland can point to having won on four of their last seven visits to the former Olympic Stadium, while they also possess a supreme recent record in deciding games.

We look at key facts and figures with the help of Opta numbers ahead of Game III.

A try-scoring double by man of the match Dane Gagai helped the Maroons overcome an 8-0 halftime deficit and a string of missed chances to draw first blood in front of 52,191 fans.

It was a dream start for Queensland's new Origin era as they look to reclaim the title.

And it was a pretty good look for polarising mind coach Bradley Charles Stubbs.

Ahead of his fourth campaign, Maroons coach Kevin Walters was looking for inspiration as his side began an Origin series without the last of their future Immortals, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis.

The 22-year-old was this week named in Blues coach Brad Fittler's 32-man State of Origin training squad that will be held in Sydney next month.

The Brisbane Broncos prop is eligible to play for both New South Wales and Tonga because the Kingdom are still classified as a second-tier nation.

Blues coach Brad Fittler, new to the role this year, guided New South Wales to victory in his first match in Melbourne and they wrapped up just their second series win in 13 years with a game to spare on Sunday.

Unlike in 2017, NSW were able to build on their opening victory, even with veteran Billy Slater back from injury for the Maroons.

All things being equal with injuries and form, Cleary is going to be there for the next 10 years.

But for me, Cameron Smith's retirement press conference on Tuesday told us everything we need to know about Origin. The Queensland captain, who has more experience in the interstate arena than anyone else in history, spoke about how draining each campaign can be.

For a 20-year-old halfback, it's unfair to bring him in off, at best, two weeks' game time and preparation, which starts this Thursday against his old man's Wests Tigers side.

While the Origin teams aren't named for another three weeks, there are more players of Indigenous heritage under genuine consideration for Blues selection than in any previous series, with the possibility of a three-quarter line-up featuring Blake Ferguson, Latrell Mitchell, James Roberts and Josh Addo-Carr.

Wade Graham is expected to be selected if fit, while Tyrone Peachey is in strong contention for a utility role, and Jack Bird and Nathan Peats are incumbent members of a Blues team which last year fielded more Indigenous players than the Maroons for the first time.

For he and 16 other NSW teammates – 13 of which are yet to experience a series win – the opportunity could not be any more perfect with the Blues fielding an unchanged line-up for the first time in over two decades.

While much of the talk heading into State of Origin II has centred around how Queensland are going to contain Fifita and the Blues forward pack in a bid to level the series, the man himself has other ideas. 

Vivid transforms landmarks across the city using light, colour and sounds and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

But making the spectacle accessible for people with limited or no vision is a challenge, particularly when it comes to what is arguably the highlight of the show, the lighting of the sails at the Opera House.

The 27-year-old is a true believer - that what you give comes back to you - and makes time every week for the youngsters he coaches while also making regular pilgrimages to hospitals and the like to help in any way he can.

Fifita also believes it's important to never forget where you came from and his time growing up in poverty in western Sydney and some tough times after deciding to make the trek out to Griffith as a 16-year-old have paved the way for his current determination to always give back wherever he can.

"Chinese people like whitening, [they consider it] beautiful — whitening and brightening because it's good," she says, smiling.

The smile is genuine, as Amanda is a fan herself.

"I use this one in the morning and at night … it can make your skin look very healthy, very clear," she says.

"It's very popular."

And this popularity is on the rise with the market for skin lighteners projected to reach $US23 billion ($30.5 billion) by 2020, according to market intelligence firm Global Industry Analysts.