Origin teams: Freddy drops ‘worst-kept secret’

Injuries galore as Origin approaches

With the official teams announced and just over a week to go until kick-off at the MCG, NSW and Queensland have slight problems to deal with in their camps.

Seven players between the Blues and Maroons are nursing injuries going into game one. A corked thigh to Queensland halfback Ben Hunt, shoulder and back problems plaguing Jai Arrow and a groin strain hindering Michael Morgan will be on Kevin Walters’ mind as the Maroons prepare to defend their trophy.

Long-time fullback Billy Slater (hamstring niggle) and forward Josh McGuire (ankle injury) also leave the physiotherapists with a headache.

In the NSW camp, James Roberts will be fighting fit to overcome an achilles tendon problem, which saw him leave the field for the Roosters over the weekend, to make his state debut.

Fresh forward Jack De Belin also gives Brad Fittler a headache with an aggravated hip strain.

Fittler finally drops NSW team

After weeks of speculation, Brad Fittler has confirmed NSW’s squad for Game I in Melbourne next Wednesday.

The leaks coming out of the revolutionised Blues camp were revealed to be 100 per cent on the money as the incumbent coach reeled off his roster.

11 debutants will fill Blues jumpers in the largest rookie pack seen in State of Origin history.

St George big man Tariq Sims and Canberra youngster Nick Cotric were also confirmed as 18th and 19th men in the new-look camp.

James Maloney, Boyd Cordner and David Klemmer as the most experienced men in the Blues lineup this year with nine games each to their name.

“I think it’s a team that has picked itself. We put reputations aside and these guys have been the best in NSW,” Fittler said.

“The thing we spoke about is the team comes first, thats why these guys were picked, thats how they play for their club and they will play for NSW.”

Fittler said NSW would need to be “desperate” to call back former Blues prop — and now Tonga representative — Andrew Fifita back to the front row.

“I think from the start of the year when we heard about it we took him off the board,” Fittler said. “If desperate times come sometimes you have to go desperate measures. We had a bit of depth there.”

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Worst kept secret in the #NRL your 2018 @NSWRL Blues 💙 #origin #UpTheBlues pic.twitter.com/xpQm1fD6YR

— Jen Browning (@jen_browning) May 28, 2018

Ennis perplexed: ‘It astounds me’

Former NSW hooker Michael Ennis is “astounded” Sharks back-rower Wade Graham was overlooked for the Blues side.

A former teammate of Graham’s at Cronulla, Ennis said the 27-year-old’s versatility would have made him the perfect fit for Brad Fittler’s side.

He’s played four Origins to date but hamstring injuries have limited his time on the park this season, which no doubt counted against him at the selection table.

However, Graham — who represented Australia during last year’s World Cup — turned in an 80 minute performance for the Sharks in their win over Newcastle on Sunday and Ennis believed that should have convinced selectors to go with the classy forward.

“Wade Graham makes the players around him better,” Ennis told Fox Sports. “He’s so composed, he’s so crafty, yet so tough, so competitive.

“His left foot kicking game is a huge string to his bow. If (James) Maloney’s under pressure, (Nathan) Cleary has his first night in an Origin jersey — to have that experience that Wade Graham brings with that kicking game and his all-round nous of ball playing and when to run those tough lines (would help NSW).

“We see Queensland come out and pick (injured Bronco Josh) McGuire who hasn’t played for a number of weeks — yet Wade knocks out an 80 minute performance. To have someone like Wade Graham on your bench … it astounds me that he didn’t make that Origin side.”

Ennis said he would bring Graham into the team at the expense of South Sydney’s Angus Crichton, who will make his Origin debut on Wednesday week.

“He has played well for South Sydney the last month and their club form has been terrific but I just think you get so much more from a Wade Graham,” Ennis said. “He’s the man that would have missed out.”

Debutants galore in sky blue revolution

NSW coach Brad Fittler will bank on a record number of debutants in the State of Origin series opener in Melbourne, with 11 rookies set to be named in his squad.

Fittler will officially unveil his first Blues squad on Monday night, embarking on the biggest changing of the guard in Origin history following 12 years of mostly despair for NSW.

No team has ever picked more than 10 debutants — which Queensland did in game one, 2001 — while NSW’s record number of rookies is eight, most recently in the 2002 opener.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Kangaroos forward Jake Trbojevic is the main omission from the starting side.

James Maloney will keep his No. 6 jersey ahead of Luke Keary after he and Nathan Cleary pulled off a near-perfect audition in Penrith’s 28-2 win over St George Illawarra on Saturday night.

“The thing that was impressive about (Penrith’s) halves is they kept the pressure on the whole time,” Fittler told the Sunday Footy Show. “The one thing that is impressive about Jimmy Maloney is regardless of the score he knows how to get the ball down the other end.

“You need that kind of attitude in the games against the big teams.”

Fittler’s comments signified a change of tune on the two-time premiership winner, after he criticised the 31-year-old’s defence on the same platform just a week earlier.

James Tedesco has retained the fullback role, meaning Tom Trbojevic earns his maiden Blues jumper on the wing.

Melbourne flyer Josh Addo-Carr claims the other winger’s spot. Latrell Mitchell and James Roberts will fill the centre positions with St George Illawarra’s Euan Aitken being edged out.

Roberts has impressed in recent weeks but has an Achilles injury, while Mitchell scored in the Sydney Roosters’ win over the Gold Coast after a forgettable first half.

Jack de Belin has been named to make his debut alongside fellow Dragons forward Paul Vaughan who made the bench.

De Belin aggravated a hip injury in the Dragons’ loss to Penrith, but he and Fittler were confident the issues wouldn’t be long term after he first injured it a fortnight ago.

“It’s definitely feeling better than when I originally did it,” de Belin said. “I was pretty close to playing (on Saturday night) without a needle but I didn’t want to risk it and I wanted to put a good performance in to stick in the selectors’ minds.”

Damien Cook’s powerhouses performances for Souths in recent weeks has seen him usurp early favourite Cameron McInnes for the hooking role with rookie Panther Tyrone Peachey to be used as a bench utility.

After a slow start to the year promising Souths backrower Angus Crichton has been rewarded for hitting his straps over the last month with a bench spot. Maloney, Tedesco, Tyson Frizell, David Klemmer captain Boyd Cordner and Jake Trbojevic — who goes to the bench — are the only survivors from last year’s series loss.

— AAP

Queensland confirms team, drops veterans

Queensland claims it has stuck with its famous loyalty policy despite dumping veterans Matt Scott and Darius Boyd for next week’s State of Origin opener.

A total of 50 Origins’ worth of experience was discarded when Scott and Boyd were overlooked in a new-look Maroons squad, which will be captained for the first time by Greg Inglis, in June 6’s series opener in Melbourne.

Queensland looked like it needed all the experience it could get this year as it prepares for life without its Big Three — ex-skipper Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk, boasting a staggering tally of 101 Origins. Instead the Maroons unveiled three debutants — Brisbane hooker Andrew McCullough, Melbourne back-rower Felise Kaufusi and Gold Coast bolter Jai Arrow — with no room for Scott, 32, or 30-year-old Boyd.

But coach Kevin Walters baulked at the suggestion the Maroons selectors had ditched their “pick and stick” policy that had led to 11 series wins in the past 12 years.

He said Queensland had remained faithful to those who claimed a series clinching game-three win last year despite incumbent bench forward Tim Glasby being overlooked.

“People say we are not being loyal to Queensland. Well, we are being loyal to the players who did the job in game three last year,” Walters said. “Unfortunately there have been some players left out, as tough as it is.

“(But) I am really exited about what these (selected) players can do. It’s their Maroon jumper — what are they going to do with it?”

Maroons selectors boss Gene Miles said the Origin door was not closed on Scott or Boyd.

“It is a three-game series. We want them to go back to club land, improve in a couple of areas and it’s a crazy game with injury and suspensions — it always happens,” he said.

Gold Coast’s Jarrod Wallace bumped Scott out of the starting front row while Cronulla flyer Valentine Holmes denied Boyd a left wing berth.

Walters seemed unfazed by the daunting task of extending the Maroons’ success without their Big Three in his third year at the helm.

“I don’t see it as starting again. When I took the job on a couple of years ago we had a good think about who is coming through and when these guys going to retire,” he said.

“We have slowly introduced players through the last couple of years.”

McCullough will attempt to fill the big shoes left by Smith, Kaufusi is in the starting back-row for Matt Gillett (neck) and 22-year-old Arrow is on the bench. St George Illawarra’s Ben Hunt earned his first start at No. 7, combining with Melbourne’s incumbent Maroons pivot Cameron Munster.

While the Cowboys’ poor NRL form went against Scott, the Maroons stuck with North Queensland’s incumbent Origin players Michael Morgan, Coen Hess and Gavin Cooper.

Test half Morgan is the bench utility ahead of Newcastle’s Kalyn Ponga, Cooper is retained in the starting back-row and Hess is again on the interchange.

Walters wasn’t worried about injury concerns for Billy Slater (hamstring), Hunt (thigh) and Josh McGuire (ankle).

Brisbane lock McGuire was retained despite missing the past five NRL rounds.

Queensland team: 1. Billy Slater 2. Valentine Holmes 3. Greg Inglis (capt) 4. Will Chambers 5. Dane Gagai 6. Cameron Munster 7. Ben Hunt 8. Dylan Napa 9. Andrew McCullough 10. Jarrod Wallace 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Felise Kaufusi 13. Josh McGuire Interchange: 14. Michael Morgan 15. Josh Papalii 16. Coen Hess 17. Jai Arrow