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NSW skipper Boyd Cordner says his side is carrying a mentality that defeat is not an option into this year's State of Origin shield defence.
Defeat is not an option.
It's the mantra driving Brad Fittler's NSW as they strive to become the first Blues side in 15 years to retain the State of Origin shield.
Since taking the reins last year, Fittler has instilled an unshakable confidence in his team, a mentality which carried them to a breakthrough series victory last year.
When announcing his game one side earlier in the week, Fittler said that they couldn't afford to contemplate a loss and it was echoed by skipper Boyd Cordner at the annual NSWRL dinner on Monday night.
"Our belief hasn't changed, we believe we can win every series," Cordner said.
"We've worked accordingly and ever since Freddy has come in, he's instilled in us all of that attitude having to win this series.
"We believe in ourselves and we're very confidence in ourselves."
While Queensland has been able to string together multiple back-to-back series wins over the last 15 years, winning eight in a row from 2006 to 2013 and three successive victories from 2015-17, the Blues have been starved of sustained success.
Cordner was a part of the side which failed to retain the trophy in 2015, and he said he wanted to repeat the feats of Danny Buderus, the last Blues skipper to guide the state to a three-peat.
"That's the mentality and attitude we have to have coming into this series," Cordner said.
"Every State of Origin series is tough, to go back-to-back is tough as well. We haven't done it since 2005, that's a challenge we've got in front of us.
"And we'll be doing everything over the next week and the coming games to keep the shield in NSW."
The Blues have been forced to deal with an unsettling build up which has seen incumbent Tom Trbojevic and contenders Luke Keary, Adam Reynolds, Mitchell Pearce, Jack Bird and Joey Leilua ruled out through injury, and James Maloney, James Roberts and Reagan Campbell-Gillard because of form.
Fittler has blooded five new faces but Cordner said their self-belief was as high as ever.
"Whoever comes into this camp, you have to have that belief to go into a series, thinking that you're going to win," Cordner said.
"Freddy's very good at that.
"We've got past players in that have done it all before, we've got (Craig Fitzgibbon) in, we've got past players, who've been there and done it all before who can share their experiences and tell the boys what it's like to respect the jersey and what it means to NSW."
