Maroons back-rower Sam Thaiday has backed both Greg Inglis and Justin Hodges to produce further State of Origin heroics for Queensland after the pair were both declared certain starters on Sunday.
Hodges had recovered sufficiently from a nasty cut to his foot to take part in Sunday's training session and although Inglis didn't train, the 24-game Origin veteran was back around the playing group having been hospitalised with tonsilitis.
The Maroons will fly into Sydney on Sunday afternoon to finalise their preparations and Thaiday believes that their disrupted preparations won't have a negative impact on their performance on Wednesday night.
"You kind of get used to these things now these days, especially with representative teams," said Thaiday. "You have players that are saved up to the last minute to train and they usually get on the field and play the best game of footy of their lives. Hopefully that is the same in this case.
"Being in the hospital for three days all by himself [Inglis] will be jumping around and keen to get out there and prove a point not just to the boys here but everyone else out there as well."
Although he conceded that the nature of their absences from training over the past few days had been "unique", Queensland coach Mal Meninga also suggested that the time spent off their feet will be of benefit to both Hodges and Inglis on Wednesday night.
"Hodgo has been doing some extras behind the scenes," Meninga said. "At times it's OK to have a bit of a spell and both of them, as has been mentioned, do get out of training and find very unique ways to get out of training.
"This has been really unique but they'll be fine. They'll be well rested and their legs will be good and their heads will be good as well."
Inglis will only have one chance to train with the squad between now and kick-off but with Dane Gagai returning to Newcastle to play for the Knights on Monday night Meninga remains confident his star centre will be fit and healthy.
"Greg's played 24 Origin games so he's fine," said Meninga. "He trained with us early in the week as well so he knows our systems. Our systems don't change and he knows how we want to play so he's fine.
"He's smart enough to tell me that if he's not 100 per cent and whether he would jeopardise the team but I think he'll be fine.
"We'll monitor it over the next few days but we've still got four days so we'll be fine."
