Josh Dugan's ultra-confidence took some getting used to, admits NSW Blues captain Paul Gallen.

Dugan's self-belief has been one of his trademarks and it should stand him in good stead in his NSW State of Origin debut against Queensland at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.

"He's a confident kid and he's a good bloke too," Gallen said.

"I think you've just got to get to know him a little bit and I have throughout the week and he's a good young bloke."

The 21-year-old was hand-picked by Blues coach Ricky Stuart because of the style of his fullback play.

His selection was the most controversial in the NSW side, with Origin regular Jarryd Hayne overlooked amidst reports he plays too much as an individual.

There's little doubt the rising Canberra Raiders star is also his own man.

"That's going to rub off on a lot of us too," Gallen said.

"He's got a lot of enthusiasm as well and he's a good talker so he's going to be great for us.

"He's got the ability that a lot of players in the game don't have - he can break tackles, he's strong, he's fast, he can score tries from anywhere on the field so he's going to be a big plus for us tomorrow night and all he's got to do is get out there and do his job."

Dugan is one of five debutants for NSW, two of them in the side's crucial "spine" with Jamie Soward to play his first Origin game at five-eighth.

Stuart is hoping his new faces prove they can be part of the nucleus of the Blues for years to come.

"It's always hard in Origin when you come out (in) game one and you've got a number of debutants," the coach said.

"We've got five. It's a lot but we've got to start somewhere, we've got to look to the future.

"I've said that from the day I got the job I've got to look to the future and that's why debutants are important.

"They've got an opportunity now to stand up and enjoy Origin.

"They wouldn't be there if I didn't think they could handle it."

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