There’s a different feel to Origin this year. Having the series at the end of the year makes for a different preparation: getting into camp nice and early, having a chance to get the body going again while the boys from different clubs filter into the squad, then working more specifically on our gameplan. When the series is in the middle of the season, you come in for a week, then go back to clubland, then come back in and so on. Being able to have a sole focus on Origin, like we do this year, is good, and with more time together it’s made for a stronger, tighter-knit squad. Coming into camp after the finals also gives everyone – except for the Storm boys – a chance to bounce back from the last defeat of the NRL season. For our Penrith players, coming off that grand final loss would have been tough. But at the same time, they’re in the same boat as the rest of us: enjoying the chance to finish the year on a high, and loving the opportunity to come into camp, pull on the
