Westpac NSW Blues forward Stefano Utoikamanu has opened up on the heavy toll of social media criticism in the wake of Wednesday's State of Origin defeat.
The Blues were comprehensively outplayed in a 24-12 loss, with the forward pack beaten to the punch by the Maroons at a sold-out Accor Stadium.
Utoikamanu has now lost all three Origin matches he has played and has faced considerable scrutiny since he was called up prior to Game Two following an injury to Mitch Barnett.
The prop's selection for the decider was a contentious call, with coach Laurie Daley backing Utoikamanu ahead of Keaon Koloamatangi and Terrell May.
Daley: We just couldn't win the moments
Wednesday's loss has led to further questions about the decision and Utoikamanu said it can be challenging to block out the external criticism.
"To be honest, it's pretty tough," Utoikamanu told ljmpta.com. "Social media is a big thing nowadays.
"At the end of the day, I don't play for what the fans think about me. I play for what [the Blues] think about me and if they think I'm the best man for the job, I'm always going to put my best foot forward.
"I trust Laurie Daley and it's good to have [Storm and Blues football manager] Frank Ponissi and Craig [Bellamy] here, they give me a lot of confidence during the week.
"All I can do is just focus on my job because at the end of the day what the fans think doesn't really matter to me, it's what everyone in this room thinks of me."
Match: Blues v Maroons
Game 3 -
home Team
Blues
away Team
Maroons
Venue: Accor Stadium, Sydney
NSW claimed Game One on the back of a powerful performance from Barnett and Payne Haas, who dominated the Queensland pack at Suncorp Stadium.
The result forced Maroons coach Billy Slater into mass changes, many of which were criticised. The decisions, however, proved a masterstroke.
Slater draws comparisons on QLD resilience from 1995
Returning veteran Josh Papalii set the tone in a fiery 14-minute opening stint on Wednesday night before Pat Carrigan took charge when he was injected into the contest.
While Haas produced his usual elite performance, Max King struggled to make an impact in the early exchanges. The prop had six carries for 37 metres in 22 minutes before he was replaced by Utoikamanu and did not return.
Utoikamanu did his best to make an impact, but struggled to turn the tide amid a Queensland onslaught.
The prop finished with 54m from six carries with 28 tackles and one miss in a 25-minute stint either side of half-time. He was caught out, however, for the Maroons' second and third tries and could have helped prevent them if better positioned.
Tom Dearden 1st Try
Utoikamanu acknowledged it's challenging to make an impact off the bench in an Origin contest and is desperate for another opportunity to deliver for his state.
"It's not ideal [coming into the game with the Blues on the backfoot]," Utoikamanu said. "But that's what my job is when you come off the bench. You try to turn it around or give the team a bit of energy.
"It is tough when they're up and we're kind of chasing our tail a little bit, it's not the best situation to be in.
"I feel like I did my job tonight. All I can do is come off the bench and put my best effort in and I felt like I did that. It's not the result we wanted but I'm stoked I'm here and I got to learn off a lot of these boys."
Harry Grant Try
Utoikamanu is set for an awkward reunion with his Melbourne teammates ahead of Saturday's clash with the Knights in Newcastle, with four Storm stars playing a key role in the Maroons' victory.
Xavier Coates will sit out the match, while a final decision on Trent Loiero, Harry Grant and Cameron Munster will be made on Friday.
Interstate rivalries will quickly be pushed to the side as the club looks to make a late charge for the minor premiership in the final months of the season.
Having joined the Storm from the Wests Tigers in the off-season, Utoikamanu has never played finals football. It's a drought he looks set to break this year.
His short-term focus, however, is on putting the disappointment of Wednesday night behind him with a big performance at McDonald Jones Stadium.
"I'll back up against Newcastle," he said. "It's probably not the best that the rest of my teammates are all on [Queensland] but it will be good.
"Losing this game just makes me hungry to perform and be better in my next game. My next game's against Newcastle so I just want to go out there and do my best."
