Farah stifling the attack and being selfish is a meme. It has little basis in reality. NSW lost 3 series in a row before Farah even got a look in. Game 1 of 2009 when he gets a start, Kurt Gidley single handedly loses the match. NSW only look threatening once Craig Wing physically shoved Gidley out of the way at dummy half. Gidley literally stifled the NSW attack, but in a bizarre twist of fate, Farah ends up being labelled as the one who stifled the attack. Farah gets blamed for loss which leads him to play injured the next match. NSW lose again, Farah is roundly criticised and dumped from the side.
In 2010, with no Farah in the side, NSW lose their first match with Brett Kimmorley as halfback. He is replaced by Mitchell Pearce and NSW end up suffering their first Origin whitewash since Fatty's no name side beat NSW 3-0 in 1995. NSW lost the next year as well in 2011 with Pearce leading the side around Micheal Ennis at hooker.
Farah returns to the side in 2012, playing a series with Pearce for the first time. The series decider comes down to a single point. In 2013 the series is decided by two points. In 2014, when Pearce is dumped, NSW miraculously win the series. In a complete coincidence, when Pearce is brought back into the side in 2015 and 2016, NSW suffer humiliating series defeats.
With Gallen's retirement and Farah omitted from the side the NSW commentariat declare that no more will the side be run by selfish players. New South Wales win Game 1 on the back of a dominant forwards performance and the NSW media talk about Pearce's redemption and the building of a dynasty.
Now in Game 2, with the series within their grasp, Pearce goes missing and NSW meekly surrenders their halftime lead and go on to lose the match. Now there's no Farah to be the scapegoat for Pearce. There's no Gallen to blame it on either and NSW head to Lang park for a series decider, knowing full well that they could have won it yesterday and have it all wrapped up.