Tricolour Trio Retained for Blues

Knights centre Bradman Best and Warriors forward Mitch Barnett are the new faces in the NSW team for the July 17 Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium. 

After making five changes for Game Two in Melbourne, Blues coach Michael Maguire has recalled Best in place of the injured Latrell Mitchell, while Barnett replaces interchange forward Haumole Olakau'atu.

The series decider will be Barnett's Origin debut after being in the extended squad for the first two matches of the series, including 18th man in Origin II at the MCG.

He replaces Olakau'atu, who plays as a right edge second-rower for Manly but was used as a middle forward in Origin I and II, playing 23 minutes in Sydney and 18 minutes in Melbourne.

Barnett produced an extraordinary performance in the Warriors' heartbreaking 12-13 golden point loss to Canterbury on Saturday.

Playing all but six minutes of the possible 89 minutes, he finished with 226 metres from 24 runs, 86 post-contact metres, a try assist, five tackle breaks, five off loads and 56 tackles with just two misses.

Best made his Origin debut in Game Three last year and was unavailable for this season's series opener but has been in top form for the Knights since returning from injury.

Mitchell, who starred in NSW's 38-18 defeat of Queensland in Origin II at the MCG, suffered a foot injury in the first half of South Sydney's win against Parramatta on Thursday night.

Rabbitohs officials said Mitchell would undergo scans before the NSW team is announced on Sunday night and he was ruled out, with the Rabbitohs superstar expected to miss at least a month out with a Lisfranc injury.

Maguire will finalise his 20-man squad, including three emergencies, by noon on Monday.

Maguire's side will go into camp on Monday afternoon and begin their preparations for Game Three in the Blue Mountains before heading to Brisbane on Sunday night.

The Blues have not lost Game One and gone on to win the following two games on the road to clinch the series since 1994, while the Blues also have not won a series decider at Suncorp Stadium since 2005.

Queensland will name their Game Three team on Monday, July 8.