Former Queensland forward Gavin Allen says the Maroons must take on NSW enforcers Willie Mason, Greg Bird and Paul Gallen without fear in Wednesday night's State of Origin at Suncorp Stadium.

Allen, still regarded amongst the hardest men to have played for Queensland, urged the Maroon forwards to dominate the Blues pack and lay a platform for their backs.

The rock on which Queensland built arguably its greatest series victory in 1995, Allen said Queensland's forwards had to adopt the attitude that they were better than their NSW rivals and take the field believing it.

Mason - who labelled Queenslanders "nutbag rednecks" - and Bird, who's questioned the defensive capabilities of halves Scott Prince and Johnathan Thurston, have been talking up the Blues from game one.

"I've never minded anyone talking it up as long as they back it up and NSW did that in game one," said Allen who played eight Origins and never took a backward step.

"You have to dominate those guys, you have to play aggressive against them.

"They're only human.

"They're nothing special, they just like any other player, it's just the attitude you take in against them.

"If you think Willie Mason is bigger, tougher and stronger than you, he will be.

"But if you think he's not, he won't be.

"Our players need to adopt that attitude."

Passionate Queenslander Chris Close said Bird may be left embarrassed if Prince "sat him on his arse" on Wednesday night.

"We're where we need to be, with our backs to the wall," said the Origin original who was disappointed with Queensland's intensity in Sydney.

"When he (Prince) drops those guys who've criticised him on their arse, let's see who's embarrassed then."

Close never held back when it came to dishing it out on the field and he hasn't softened his dislike of NSW since.

"They (NSW) were very `Queensland like' in game one and good on them," he said.

"That's what State of Origin is all about, out-muscling ... being more intense.

"I'm a Queenslander, but you've got to give credit where it is due and those guys from NSW in that first game were outstanding."

Close said he would be bitterly disappointed if the Queensland players were not hurting badly after Sydney.

"There should be plenty of hurt there," he said.

"I'm not knocking their courage but what they have to realise is this is a representative game, not an extension of club football.

"When you put your hand up to represent four-and-a-half million people they expect you to give your blood and die for the cause.

"And if you don't, you don't deserve to be there.

"That's how I feel and that's how Queensland feels."

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