Battle out wide could be the centre of Origin success

Michael Jennings, Josh Morris, Justin O'Neill, James Roberts. Four amazing centres who will not walk out onto ANZ Stadium tonight.

Instead, three fullbacks will fill three of the four centre positions, with only Melbourne and Queensland's Will Chambers a specialist centre playing that role.

Ironically Dane Gagai and Blake Ferguson, who have made their names mainly as centres, will play on the wing tonight.

For those who haven't heard, if Queensland is to be believed, Darius Boyd will make an incredible shift into the centres for the monster contest.

Boyd, who I still believe is the most consistent and best fullback in the game, will move out of his preferred position to allow Billy Slater to return to the Origin arena. Most believed he would make the obvious move back to the wing, where he has starred for his state and country for many years.

Instead, Dane Gagai will remain on the wing, with Boyd to play in the centres. Although Boyd has played in the centres previously, the last time he filled the role was in the Red V jersey of the Dragons. Can anyone outside the Dragons fan base actually remember this happening?

Boyd is an elite player, but this is a big risk. He hasn't defended in the line since he played on the wing for Queensland. He'll handle it well, but those split second decisions that come week the instinct that develops after week on week action.

Boyd, who is likely to be placed at left centre to allow Will Chambers to shift to right centre, will likely to marked by the second most 'experienced' centre on the park to fill the role in Josh Dugan.

Dugan is seen as a centre by many, although has played the huge majority of his career at fullback. He has filled in at right centre with amazing results, but he has been caught out. He was taken off the field in Origin one to allow Bird to fill in at right centre, although looked good upon his return following an injury to Mitchel Pearce.

On the other flank for the blues, Jarryd Hayne, who is a genuine Origin superstar in his own right, filling in. He has played well in the centres for the Titans in attack but has been torn apart in defence.

You have to have Hayne in there somewhere, ditto Dugan and Boyd, and Tedesco and Slater are purely specialist fullbacks. The moves make perfect sense, but they are chock-full of risk.

There is no doubt that Josh Dugan and co will target Darius Boyd early. They would be almost insane not to. Josh Jackson and Wade Graham are going to hammer him for 80 minutes. If they can expose him, he will be switched to the wing and Gagai brought in.

That said, there is every chance that Boyd starts on the wing outside either Gagai or Chambers. One thing worth remembering is that this is the debut in this arena for Valentine Holmes, so you'd imagine he defends outside Chambers, the experienced centre.

To be honest, I really don't know how Queensland will line up tonight. You'd have to think that New South Wales have a far better idea, but I don't even expect them to be 100% sure.

As for the Blues, they know that Jarryd Hayne will be run at from the first set. He made some poor decisions in Origin One, although he more than made up for it by tearing that right side apart in attack.

If the Blues had any sort of weakness in Origin One, it was defence out wide. With Thurston and Slater back, that will only intensify.

They say that Origin is won in the forwards, and common sense would dictate that to be the truth. It's almost impossible for a halves pairing behind a well-beaten pack to create match-winning plays.

That said, the battle in the centres could ultimately be the match-deciding battle here.

Four extremely talented footballers no doubt, but only one specialist centre, and three amazing fullbacks.

Both sides have contingency plans, with Bird and Gagai easily able to enter if needed, but Origin is a contest that could be decided very quickly, and if either side rushes out to a two-try lead early due to defensive issues out wide, it could be very difficult for the other side to return.

Personally, I hope all four men play out of their skin. If they do, this match could produce anything.