Greg Inglis has struggled to regain his best form during the past 12 months but Josh Dugan remains on red alert, describing the Queensland centre as a "big game player".
Dugan has been lumped with the arduous task of shutting down Greg Inglis, a responsibility Josh Morris hasn't shirked from in recent years.
While Morris has been down on form at club level, it was believed his defensive ability and his track record of shutting down Inglis would get him recalled for this series.
But in another indication of the Blues' desire to fight fire with fire and play a more attacking brand of football, it's Dugan who will square off against Inglis at ANZ Stadium on June 1.
"He's a great player and I fully respect his ability, but at the same time I've got confidence in my own ability to be able to do things," Dugan said.
"As I said, I'll just prepare the best I can this week and go out there and give it my best shot. He's a big game player. He's always going to come out and turn up.
"All you have to do is look at the Test, that was just a taste of what he can do when people put pressure on him. I think he'll be in for a big one on Wednesday."
Dugan came into camp under an injury cloud after suffering an elbow injury in the loss to South Sydney last Thursday night, and will have to undergo off-season surgery to remove loose bone from the area.
However the St George Illawarra fullback insists he won't be burdened by the pain despite the likelihood of having to play with a strapped elbow for the rest of the season.
"It's good, it's coming along pretty well and improving every day," Dugan said.
"That was always the plan. The swelling has gone down fully pretty much. Obviously there are a few bits of loose bone in there from last year as well. That's the only thing really annoying me at the moment but it's bearable.
"I think I'll have to get a clean out at the end of the year just to get the loose bodies out of there, but as far as I'm concerned I'm good to go. It'll just be like last year, strap it before every game."
While Dugan is no stranger to the centre role at Origin level, he comes into this series buoyed with confidence having spent plenty of time at training getting familiar with the role.
"I've come in a little bit better prepared this year doing most of pre-season at centre and playing a few games there and also the Test there as well," Dugan said.
"I've come in better prepared, and I've got someone like J-Moz (Josh Morris) out the back helping me out as well.
"He's one of the better centres in the game, and if he's got anything to say I'm all ears. That's what you do in a team, you listen to each other and you help each other out."
Dugan's move to the centres coincides with Blake Ferguson's return to the Origin arena after a three-year exile.
The pair represented Australia on the right edge in the one-off Test earlier this month, with Dugan unfazed Ferguson is playing out of position.
"I think he was saying the other day he's played wing the last couple of weeks because of injuries or whatever at the Roosters," Dugan said of Ferguson.
"He's a great player, he's in great form and definitely deserves to be here."
