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Cordner: I'll play 80 minutes in Origin

Boyd Cordner was one of the Blues best in Game 1 of the State of Origin series. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
29th May, 2017
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NSW skipper Boyd Cordner is set for an ironman effort in State of Origin I as he revealed he was planning to play the whole match against Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.

Intrigue has surrounded how coach Laurie Daley will handle his forward rotation given he has two star left-edge back-rowers in his arsenal in Cordner and Cronulla’s Wade Graham.

Graham will start from the bench but is still expected to play big minutes and while it was expected he and Cordner would eat into each other’s minutes, the newly appointed Blues captain said that wasn’t necessarily the case.

“That’ll be the plan,” Cornder said, when asked if he will play the whole game.

“With Wade on the bench, he’s going to have to play a lot of minutes. He’s too good a player not to.”

Cordner said he was expecting to be shuffled into the lock position and the middle third when Daley decides to inject Graham into the game.

Graham, 26, was unlucky not to be selected in the run-on side given his brilliant start to the NRL season and having been a key part of Cronulla’s premiership win last year.

As well as being a feared defender, Graham possesses a deft kicking game, can ball play and has a ready-made combination with Sharks teammate James Maloney, who will sit on NSW’s left edge.

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“Whatever Laurie has planned for me, whether it’s in the middle for a bit or staying on the left edge, I’m easy,” Cordner said.

“As long as I’m out there.”

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