NSW captain Paul Gallen appears unlikely to be fit for rugby league’s State of Origin series opener.
Gallen is battling a hip injury and is in a race against time to be fit for the first Origin match in Sydney on May 27.
NSW coach Laurie Daley has stated Gallen will need to be fit when the squad is named and goes into camp on May 19.
However, the Cronulla back-rower seems unlikely to meet that deadline.
He did no training last week and has been restricted to gym work this week.
He is rated no chance of playing for the Sharks against the Warriors on Saturday and Sharks officials are pessimistic about his chances of making the improvement needed to face the Titans on Saturday week, three days before the NSW team is named.
Daley said he was putting full faith in Gallen to make the decision on whether to rule himself out.
“He has been (honest regarding injury) before,” Daley said.
“In 2013 before game one and he missed a lot of football and we picked him. And then game three that year he missed the decider with a foot injury – he said he wasn’t right.
“He’s always been honest. He won’t want to let the team down but importantly he won’t want to be play and missing out on games two and three.”
Andrew Fifita described Gallen as NSW’s “captain courageous” and said he would like nothing more than to see him take the field for the first game of the Blues’ series defence.
However, Fifita said his Sharks forwards partner was not even concentrating on making Origin at this stage.
“He’s missed major games, he had 2013 where he missed a few games just because he had a few injuries,” Fifita said.
“I think his main priority will be to get back for the Sharks first. To be honest he’s not looking at coming back for the Blues yet. I think being back for us is his main priority.”
Fifita is taking an unselfish approach to Gallen’s possible return. If Gallen is to be ruled out, that would open the door for Fifita to reclaim the Blues jersey he lost last year during a season marred by injuries and contract dramas.
Fifita did his Origin hopes no harm with a barnstorming display for City against Country in Wagga Wagga.
When asked how he felt about Gallen’s return having a negative affect on his Blues selection chances, Fifita said: “It really doesn’t bother me at the moment.
“I’m having fun with my footy and I’m just loving playing for the Sharks, that’s my main priority and my game’s really picked up. I’m just loving footy and doing the thing I love.”
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