‘Not making impact’: Saifiti’s struggles mean Blues could use rookies or locks to prop up pack

Knights prop Daniel Saifiti is under pressure to hold his NSW spot for the series opener, which could open the door for the Blues to play just two specialist front-rowers.

Blues coach Brad Fittler rolled with only two club front-rowers in his line-ups in games one and three last season, using the more mobile locks in Jake Trbojevic and Dale Finucane alongside Saifiti, Payne Haas and Junior Paulo.

As long as they’re available, Haas and Paulo are automatic selections for this year’s series opener at Accor Stadium on June 8, but NSW selector Greg Alexander said Saifiti’s form with Newcastle had not been up to scratch.

“Daniel has been a concern,” Alexander said on SEN Radio on Monday morning. “There’s no doubt that he’s not making the impact that he has over the past couple of seasons and he needs to get going. He needs to get going pretty quickly too.”

Saifiti, who played seven straight Origins since his debut in 2019 before a rib injury ruled him out of last year’s series finale, missed Newcastle’s opening two rounds after suffering a fracture in his leg when he was on the receiving end of a hip-drop tackle in the trials.

He has only made three tackle breaks in five appearances and is tallying just 113 running metres per game, well down on his averages of 144 and 150 respectively over the past two seasons. Newcastle have lost all five of those games, culminating in their 39-2 Round 7 drubbing from Parramatta, to be 2-5 with Melbourne coming to McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.

(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Fittler has a wealth of options for his middle-forward rotation when it comes to more mobile locks – Penrith’s Isaah Yeo and Souths skipper Cameron Murray will be among the first names inked onto the squad list while Trbojevic, Finucane and Roosters firebrand Victor Radley are also in contention.

Penrith forward Liam Martin, who represented NSW in all three games last year, has played in the second row this season but can play in the middle.

There are not many specialist props who are fit and firing.

In-form Sharks cult hero Toby Rudolf or Penrith rising star Spencer Leniu, who are in career-best form at club level, are potential options to earn a State of Origin debut.

(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

Rudolf, who played for Redcliffe in the Queensland Cup before joining Cronulla is a South Sydney junior, is only averaging 47 minutes as Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon uses him to start and finish matches but he has been a large part of the team’s early-season success.

Leniu, who has made 14 tackle breaks on the way to scoring three tries for the undefeated Panthers, was born in Auckland, has been selected in a Junior Kiwis squad and is eligble for Samoa but has represented NSW at under-20 level in 2019.

His teammate Moses Leota has been a fringe candidate for NSW the past couple of seasons but suffered a shoulder injury in Round 1.

Wests Tigers young gun Stefano Utoikamanu is seen as a future NSW representative and was given a taste of Origin experience when he was part of the extended squad for game three last year but he has been sidelined with a syndesmosis injury. 

They are both due back in the next couple of weeks but are running out of time to make a late bid for selection before the NSW squad is announced at the end of next month.

Of the other specialist front-rowers who are eligible, Parramatta’s Reagan Campbell-Gillard has not been selected by NSW since his lone appearance in 2018, coach Brad Fittler has also repeatedly overlooked Knights enforcer David Klemmer and Dragons veteran Tariq Sims has been in and out of the NRL side this season as contract dramas have clouded his playing future.

Fittler’s only other slight selection headache is left centre with Latrell Mitchell highly unlikely to be available due to his hamstring tear. 

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary said Stephen Crichton would be more than capable if he received his first Blues jersey following his hat-trick of tries in the 36-6 triumph over the Raiders on Sunday.

“I don’t think he’d let anyone down. He’s been really good this year for us,” he said.

Cronulla’s Siosifa Talakai, Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton and Newcastle’s Bradman Best are other left-edge options at centre.

Bench utility is another spot that’s up for grabs and, again, Fittler has a multitude of candidates with Jack Wighton, Api Koroisau, Burton, Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen and Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes likely to be in the mix.