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It makes good reading that NSW coach Laurie Daley has named exactly the same squad for the three Origins for the first time since 1996, when the Blues won the series.
But it will count for nothing if the 17 aren’t all fit, preferably fully fit. It will take all that to beat Queensland at Suncorp in Wednesday nights decider.
Boyd Cordner (calf), James Tedesco (ankle), Josh Dugan (knee) and Tyson Frizell (ribs) are under an injury cloud, with captain Cordner the most serious.
If he can’t make it, Aaron Woods should be the skipper, with Jack de Belin on standby.
With all due respects to the talented Dragon, debuting in such a huge game would be a gable when it demands a highly experienced campaigner, who is as tough as nails with a razor sharp rugby league brain.
Like Luke Lewis.
He may have lost a metre or two in pace and will be 34 next month, but Lewis is still a high quality footballer who ticks all the boxes in attack and defence.
He’s played 298 NRL games with Penrith and the Sharks, scored 116 tries and played in every position bar the front row in 14 seasons.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
He played the last of his 17 Origins in 2014, and pulled on the last of his 16 Kangaroo jerseys in 2015.
Burt Luke Lewis is the perfect answer to the potential loss of Cordner.
Lewis must be called into the NSW camp today, especially as the Sharks have the weekend off.
The timing couldn’t be better, or more effective.
de Belin will get his chance next season and for many seasons to come, but Luke Lewis is the one for Suncorp.
And that would give the reigning premier Sharks five of the 17 joining Andrew Fifita, and Wade Graham up front, with James Maloney and Jack Bird out the back.
Sure, Queensland won’t have Johnathan Thurston and Darius Boyd, but the Maroons will grow an extra leg with so much at stake on their home turf with the vast majority of the 55,000 crowd Queensland supporters.
It’s as daunting as it gets, with Luke Lewis to lessen the odds for NSW.
He’s that type of footballer.