It’s Origin,not under-12s.

Fittler’s adviser,Greg Alexander,confirmed on SEN Radio on Monday morning that the selection of Tupou ahead of Addo-Carr was mostly about height because Queensland have picked rangy wingers Selwyn Cobbo (190cm) and Xavier Coates (194cm).

Perhaps it also has something to do with the injuries to centres Tom Trbojevic (194cm) and Latrell Mitchell (193cm),the Blues’ two best players in last year’s series win.

Their absence means the height of their replacements and the wingers who will play alongside them are a factor.

The Blues anticipate an aerial raid from Maroons halves Cameron Munster and Daly Cherry-Evans,who can both land cross-field kicks on a 20-cent piece.

Fittler surprised everyone at a media session on Monday when he said Jack Wighton (189cm) will play left centre ahead of Stephen Crichton (193cm),who will now come off the bench,meaning Nicho Hynes is 18th man when most presumed he would be the utility on the bench to cover halfback.

To me,it reeks of a ruse.

It won’t surprise if Crichton starts at left centre alongside Penrith winger and teammate Brian To’o (182cm) while Kotoni Staggs (185cm) plays right centre alongside Tupou,who is strong in the air.

There’s an old saying in boxing:move or get hit. The same applies to Origin and it applies this year more than ever for NSW because Queensland are coming to get them.

Smell that? That’s the unmistakable stench of a Queensland ambush in the series opener at Accor Stadium on June 8.

Maroons coach Billy Slater has been a revelation in commentary for Channel Nine (publisher of this masthead) but he’s sounded every bit like a coach in recent weeks.

At his media conference on Monday,one Brisbane reporter asked if Tupou’s selection ahead of Addo-Carr meant he was already in “Fittler’s head”?

Slater smelled the cheese — but didn’t bite.

“Not really,” he said. “I haven’t taken too much notice of their squad. Freddy’s gone with actions. Tupou is playing good football,he’s done it for a long period of time … You can look at people who have missed out,but I’d rather focus on who’s there.”

The first match of the series is always important but especially so for NSW this year. Heading to Perth for game two will be significantly easier if they’re trying to win the series,not keep it alive,with game three in Brisbane.

With Tom Trbojevic and Mitchell out,it wouldn’t surprise if they played conservatively on a wet,dewy surface at Sydney Olympic Park.

The danger will be if Queensland play like they’ve got nothing to lose,which they don’t,just as Slater did during his stellar career for the Storm.

He was constantly in Cameron Smith’s and halfback Cooper Cronk’s ears,wanting to put on risky plays that had Craig Bellamy contorting himself in knots in the coach’s box.

What amazed his teammates was how his confidence never took a beating if he made a mistake,so much so that his Storm teammates nicknamed him “Dory”,a reference to the fish inFinding Nemo with short-term memory loss.

If the Maroons are given a licence to use the ball whenever possible,particularly with players such as Munster,Cobbo and Kalyn Ponga running about like they’re in the backyard,the points will be difficult to stop.

Now thatwill be drama.