A huge slice of the Blues leaders from recent series including Paul Gallen, Greg Bird, Luke Lewis and Anthony Watmough is missing from NSW this year. While Gallen is expected to be back for game two the rest of the veterans are unlikely to play any part in this year's Origin series.

Farah has stepped in to again captain the Blues in Gallen's absence, but it has been left to Scott, Hoffman and Morris to take some of the strain away from their No.9. They have been helping debutants Josh Jackson and David Klemmer prepare for Wednesday night.

Hoffman said he met with Daley along with Morris and Scott.

"Myself, 'Beauy' and 'J Moz', we just help [Farah] when we can but obviously not be overbearing for Robbie," Hoffman said. "Loz [Daley] brought a few of us in and let us know what he wants to achieve and how he wants to go about it. You can get caught up in these things of being so ridiculously perfect and that everyone gets a bit on edge and you get a bit stressed and that translates on the field.

"You can always tell when a team's really hesitant and unsure but everyone's relaxed because we're focused on the big picture, we're focused on Wednesday night and we're building into it rather than having to be perfect. Every single moment of every single day, we're getting those teething problems out now."

Hoffman said Farah had relied on a few of the senior players during the week.

"I haven't seen Robbie change to be quite honest, he's a leader in everything he does," Hoffman said. "He's been a leader at club level and obviously he's been a leader at Origin level but this is the first time right from the start of the series. It's a new role for him but you wouldn't know. I certainly haven't seen him change anything in his demeanour and in the way he's trained. He's been leaning on a couple of us a bit for, not advice but assistance in what he's trying to do.

"He's really good, he's a good leader when he wants assistance from other people.

"I think we've got a really good system in place and if and when Gal comes back he'll slip straight into it and we'll have the same leadership capabilities."

The Blues returned to Sydney on Sunday night having left their Coffs Harbour training base. Hoffman said there is a noticeable mood change once the camp switches to Sydney.

"Whenever we have a change of camp at this stage it makes it a bit real," Hoffman said. "You're a bit out of the picture up in Coffs. When you get back to Sydney and arrive at the airport you realise it's game time now and we need to focus. When we get there for our captain's run session that's when it will really hit home that we have a big game the next night."