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Westpac NSW Blues fullback Dylan Edwards has backed five-eighth Mitchell Moses to thrive in his switch to the left edge in next week's Origin opener.
The selection of two right-edge halves in Moses and halfback Nathan Cleary has forced the five-eighth to transition to the other side of the field, with many expecting Queensland to throw plenty of traffic at the playmaker.
Moses will line up on an edge alongside Angus Crichton, Latrell Mitchell and Brian To'o.
As fullback, Edwards plays a key role in the defensive organisation of the NSW side. It's a big responsibility, but the Panthers star said the squad has spent the week in camp ironing out any defensive concerns.
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NSW Blues side announced for Origin I
"It's a little bit of a challenge with everyone coming from different clubs and systems but that's our focus at the moment, our defence," Edwards said.
"We're putting a fair bit of work and bit of video on that. Luckily there's a lot of boys who were here last year too so we've got a bit of familiarity around that.
"Moses will be alright. He's a good defender and he's pretty confident now so he'll be alright and I'm confident in him. He's looked pretty good at training so far."
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Moses was all over Dearden in defence
The Blues completed an opposed training session against the St Marys Saints in driving rain at their Blue Mountains base on Thursday morning.
Enforcer Payne Haas continues to be managed after suffering a minor quad strain last week, however the rest of the squad completed the session.
The Ron Massey Cup side have former NSW great Craig Gower on their coaching staff, while Stephen Crichton's older brother Christan lines up on the wing.
The conditions were a far cry from what to expect at Suncorp Stadium, with the early forecast suggesting Brisbane will be basking in glorious sunshine next Wednesday, however NSW forward Hudson Young said there was plenty to take out of the session.
Match: Maroons v Blues
Game 1 -
home Team
Maroons
away Team
Blues
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
"We've played in wet weather before and if you can handle those conditions, you can handle anything," Young said. "That's the mentality we've got at the moment.
"It's good preparation for us because it's going to be dewy at 8 o'clock at night. We're used to training with a slippery ball and hopefully things stick on Wednesday."
The Blues are expecting a hostile reception when they run on to Suncorp Stadium for Wednesday's series opener, with interchange forward Spencer Leniu likely to be public enemy No.1.
The prop has made a career out of taking on the opposition head on and next week will be no different.
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A debut to remember: Leniu
Leniu thrives on hostility, with Edwards confident the forward will make an instant impact when he's injected into the game midway through the first half.
"I imagine we'll all get booed up there so I don't think it'll be any different for Spence," Edwards said. "I expect him to go at it as he does as normal.
"Origin's a higher intensity and a bit faster but Spencer is Spencer. He's going to be physical, run extremely hard and tackle hard. That's what we can expect from Spencer, to go out there and compete on everything like he normally does."
