State of Origin I pretty much went according to plan - but that's not the least bit surprising for a side coached by Craig Bellamy.

He makes winning a habit.

NSW went into the opening match under-rated and the Queenslanders were equally over-rated.

However, the Blues held the physical, emotional and motivational edge over the Maroons throughout and the final score of 18-10 was really no indication of the dominance of their performance.

NSW controlled play right from the opening whistle and never relented to produce a great win.

Of course, they did have the luxury of hosting the opening game of the series in Sydney, where they boast an outstanding record.

Many overlooked the importance of this before game one. Most punters gave the Queenslanders more than they deserved and opinions were clouded by past performances rather than an honest appraisal of playing rosters.

The most underestimated factor was the coaching ability of Bellamy, who has stamped himself as the best rugby league coach in the world.

Players win matches and there's no denying the NSW men, one through to 17, were tremendous in game one - but the coaching of this team was outstanding.

The way NSW clinically swept aside the Queenslanders indicated a faultless preparation.

This doesn't happen by accident. It's not simply a matter of turning up the week before the game and giving the troops a few marching orders to follow on the night.

An Origin campaign takes months of dealing with organisational issues, hours of studying game videos and sourcing the knowledge of players and coaches who have experienced the Origin phenomenon. From there, Bellamy meticulously planned his camps, travel needs, meetings agendas and training sessions, all with the express purpose of being armed and ready to play on the big night.

He worked hard for his players and they in turn worked hard for him. They obviously appreciated his tenacity, intensity and disciplined methods.

Mentally, emotionally and tactically, this side could not have been better equipped to tackle the demands of Origin football.

Their confident, relentless and highly organised play was a vast improvement on what we've seen from the Blues in the past two losing series.

It was also chalk and cheese when compared to the rabble Queensland became when placed under the pressure of this Blues assault.

Bellamy is no ordinary coach. He is something special.

He also knows he can't be expected to do it all himself. At Melbourne he seeks the knowledge of experts in the various physical and skill-related aspects of playing the modern game.

To this end, his appointment of Andrew Johns as an assistant coach to the NSW team has proved to be a masterstroke.

We witnessed undeniable evidence of the contribution made by Johns, who I'm sure played a major role in the performances of the NSW halves Peter Wallace and Greg Bird.

Bird, in particular, produced a couple of great passes that led to NSW tries. He has previously shown none of this ball-playing ability when playing at five-eighth for the Sharks or Australia. However, Johns was able to showcase Bird in a couple of well-rehearsed set-pieces that proved vital in the end result.

That's great coaching.

NSW's defence was also outstanding. Bellamy showed no favouritism when it came to coaching against his own Storm players.

The organisation of his marker defence to protect the middle of the play-the-ball area and frustrate the life out of Maroons hooker Cam Smith was brilliant. He can expect more of the same in Game II. The use of an aggressive, fast-moving and sometimes vicious up-and-in style of defence to pressure the ball-playing skills of Karmichael Hunt and fullback Billy Slater caused Queensland plenty of trouble. They'll be having sleepless nights in preparation for this match in Brisbane.

When NSW had the ball, much of their game was based on dishing out further punishment to the playmakers in the Queensland team. Smith had to make 40 tackles as the Blues forwards singled him out for special attention. Five-eighth Hunt was continually attacked by the NSW forwards. They charged at him time and time again knowing full well he would be out to stand his ground and prove he was physically capable of playing in the front line of defence.

Hunt never took a backward step, but the physical battering definitely took its toll on this courageous young man who normally makes only a handful of tackles each month in his normal role as fullback for the Broncos. Now he's back on the bench.

With the great Darren Lockyer back in the Queensland team for this all-important second game of the series, we can expect he, too, will feel the full brunt of NSW's "search-and-destroy" mentality.

Picking Lockyer for this game is a huge ask by the Queensland selectors, let alone people now thinking he can singlehandedly save the series for the Maroons. He's a champion player but he has played only 40 minutes of first-grade football in the past five weeks and this is no preparation for a game of this intensity.

He won the game for the Broncos in his return match against the Eels, but strolling around without physical confrontation in a club match is way short of the 80-minute battering the Blues will direct his way on Wednesday night.

The loss of suspended centre Justin Hodges is an insurmountable hurdle for the Maroons. He is the man. He's the one with the attitude and aggression that all other players feed off. Hodges is a huge loss and I don't think Queensland can win without him.

Having said all that, we must remember this game will be played in Brisbane and Origin up there is a different animal. It's a different preparation and, in most cases, a completely different game. You must pay ultimate respect to the Maroons on their home soil and in front of their crowd. You also have to understand Queensland's players are at their best when their backs are against the wall.

However, Bellamy is the type of man who will relish this challenge and his meticulous approach will assist the Blues in wrapping up the series on Wednesday night.

It won't be easy - but Bellamy and his men will get it done.