With Queensland halfback Johnathan Thurston ruled out for the remainder of the 2017 season, the Cowboys star has officially played his final game of Origin.
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And though he won't be lining up for Game III at Suncorp come July 12, the match will inevitably be seen as his unofficial farewell from the Origin arena and it's something Maroons legend Wally Lewis is concerned could get in the way of Queensland wrapping up the series.
No stranger to a grand farewell from State of Origin, Lewis admits Thurston deserves some acknowledgement but stresses that the Maroons need to be focused on the game if they are to claim a third straight series.
"It would be a nice way to do it, to be able to say to JT, 'We did it for you' but I don't think it should be the centre of attention in winning Game III," Lewis told AAP .
"In a funny way, even bringing JT's name into it might be the worst possible thing.
"They're going to be concentrating on winning the game for a different reason than wrapping up the series.
"To carry on with this garbage that you're playing to send him out a winner, that's not part of it.
"The guys are instructed to do one thing - to stick to the game plan, to retain that in their mind all the way through in the build-up and achieve success for the right reason.
"The players, they'll speak about it once.
"They'll say we do want to make sure JT can enjoy it as well.
"But this is all about us sticking to the game plan and making sure we win it because unfortunately he won't be playing any part in it."
Thurston isn't expected to play rugby league again this year after scans on Friday confirmed he will need surgery on his right shoulder.
