Nate Myles 'Zooms' in to inspire Maroons forwards
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Lindsay Collins said he was ready to run through a brick wall after Queensland legend Nate Myles spoke to the Maroons forwards by Zoom prior to their win in Adelaide.
It is a mentality the Roosters prop, who made his Origin debut for Queensland in the 18-14 win over NSW in game one, is ready to take into the showdown in Sydney on Wednesday night and for the rest of the series.
Myles was a mainstay of the Queensland side in nine series wins under Mal Meninga and the Maroons brains trust pulled a masterstroke when they got him in to speak to the inexperienced group of forwards about what wearing the jersey meant to him.
The impact on Collins, who had a blinder off the bench on debut, was immense.
"It was awesome to have someone like Nate Myles speak to us and I was ready to run through a brick wall after he spoke. I was really pumped up," Collins told NRL.com.
"It was good to see his emotion and how much Origin meant to him. That is the mentality I took into it, that it is more than just a game.
"He has played 32 Origin games for Queensland and in the 40-year history of Origin there are not too many people to have done that.
"Especially for me, being on debut, it was a good insight. He kept things simple. That was what I was focussed on, just narrowing it and not thinking externally.
"Nate had a real toughness and brutality in his game. He was a hard bloke. You just look at his actions over so many years."
Match Highlights: Blues v Maroons
The simplicity of Myles's message has been reiterated by coach Wayne Bennett. Collins said the coach's instructions were to "run hard and tackle hard", an ethos he lived up to when he came off the bench in Adelaide after watching Josh Papalii and Christian Welch lead the way.
"The biggest thing is that you don't want to let anyone down.
"I saw Welchy and Paps doing their job and the last thing you want to do is come on the field and not live up to that expectation," Collins said.
"They set the platform and it gave me an idea of what I had to do. It was awesome watching them set up the game for us.
"It is not just this team, we have a whole state riding on this and I will be doing everything I can not to let them down.
"For me it is about keeping it simple, knowing my role and going out there and doing it."
Why Gagai goes to another level in maroon
Collins said was excited to be coached by Bennett and had been a sponge in camp and "soaking everything in".
He certainly did that in Adelaide in front of his partner and parents on debut.
"Once you sit on the bench everything narrows in and you have got the blinkers on," he said.
"Running out of that tunnel there were a lot of emotions. There was excitement.
"Then getting in the line and singing the anthem was emotional, and then getting on the bench I was pumped.
"Once the game started you narrow your focus in and are ready to go."
Match: Blues v Maroons
Game 2 -
home Team
Blues
away Team
Maroons
Venue: ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Collins will line up in Sydney with fellow new Maroons to the Origin arena such as Jaydn Su'A, Tino Fa'asumalaeaui, Dunamis Lui and Moeaki Fotuaika.
Already the group has united and come together for a common cause with distinction.
"It is awesome. We haven't had long to get to know each other but we have all connected and clicked really quickly," Collins said.
"Isolation helps. We can't really go off and do our own thing so we have nothing else to do but get to know each other.
"There are lots of card games, pool games and table tennis and a lot of little things that we are doing."
Game two tickets start from $45 for members and $49 for general public or get your wig and experience the Blatchy’s effect from $85 for members or $90 for the general public
