Billy Slater did everything but say Tom Dearden will start at five-eighth for Queensland in the State of Origin decider.
But it's how the coach manages his forward pack that looms larger ahead of Wednesday's clash with NSW at Suncorp Stadium, where his says his props will take personally what happened in game two.
The rookie mentor was unusually coy on Tuesday ahead of the Maroons' captain's run, unwilling to reveal his run-on side any earlier than obliged to, an hour before Wednesday night's kick-off.
Training activity this week suggests playmaker Dearden will start at five-eighth in his debut though, with the versatile Ben Hunt able to offer assistance there if necessary.
"I can't confirm right now ... (but) our players are very clear in their roles, I'll say that," Slater offered, before revealing that Dearden will wear the No.6.
"He'll play five-eighth when he's out there, it's just whether he starts or not."
Changes to the starting pack are also a consideration, with Maroons centre Valentine Holmes revealing last week they "had a plan" to better utilise veteran Josh Papalii in his 23rd Origin.
Papalii has been used sparingly so far in the series, absorbing the first 15 minutes and then only returning for the final exchanges.
That worked in the upset Origin I win in Sydney as bench forward Pat Carrigan ran riot in the middle stages of the contest.
But it backfired in the 44-12 game 2 loss in Perth, Slater not altering Papalii's role even after Felise Kaufusi was sin-binned just prior to halftime.
Kaufusi (personal reasons) won't play in Brisbane, Tom Gilbert added to the bench for a debut and Jeremiah Nanai to start in the backrow and Lindsay Collins again named to start ahead of Carrigan.
Slater said those moves already gave him "options", but that he didn't think strategic changes were needed after the Perth performance.
"We've got a great mix of middle forwards (but) I don't think so; we started the game really well, were leading by four points two minutes from halftime," he said.
"We're comfortable with where we're at.
"I think State of Origin is a personal battle, a real personal battle and we all know how important that forward battle is in rugby league, especially at a Suncorp Stadium decider."
Slater admitted the nerves as a coach had hit differently than when he played ahead of "the biggest occasion of their career".
"Yeah the pressure's there, of course it is in a big game, big series, it means a lot," he said.
"It's a pressure environment, but I've enjoyed it, it's important to me.
"I've got a lot of trust and I've got to give that trust to the players."
