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NSW and Queensland have both finalised their teams one hour before kick-off for Game 1 of the 2022 State of Origin series which kicks off at 8.10pm AEST at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
There was three late changes but the speculation that Stephen Crichton would come into the NSW starting side and Harry Grant into the Maroons’ run-on team wide of the mark.
Cameron Murray and Junior Paulo have been relegated to the bench for NSW with Liam Martin into the starting side at second row and Reagan Campbell-Gillard at prop while Jai Arrow has been given the nod as Maroons’ 18th man with Tom Dearden relegated to the reserves.
The three-match series then heads to Perth on Sunday June 26 before Game 3 on Wednesday July 13 in Brisbane.
The Blues and Maroons both initially named 22-man squads with the Blues finalising their match-day 19 on Origin eve cutting out Jacob Saifiti, Joseph Suaalii and Api Koroisau. Tyson Frizell was omitted an hour before kick-off.Advertisement
Queensland have omitted Tom Dearden as the last man from their squad with Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Murray Taulagi and Tom Flegler left out.
When the teams were trimmed back to 18-man line-ups at 7.10pm, Nicho Hynes was named as the Blues’ standby reserve with Jai Arrow filling the role for the Queenslanders.
16. Reagan Campbell-Gillard: Back in sky-blue for the first time since his only Origin 2018, elevated to the starting side in a late switch.
15. Liam Martin: Equally adept on an edge or in the middle, his injection into the fray from the get-go will mean there’s no let-up for Queensland from the opening whistle.
12. Tariq Sims: Only the Dragons know why they’re offloading Sims to the Storm while they’re keeping other veterans who contribute a whole lot less then their only Origin representative apart from Ben Hunt.
13. Isaah Yeo: In superb form to be second on the Dally M leaderboard. His ball-playing skills at club level are not as essential in Origin but he also has the high aerobic capacity to do the mountain of work NSW need from their back-rowers.
Interchange:
10. Junior Paulo: One of three Eels in the NSW forward rotation, he offers the Blues a subtle point of difference with his skill before and after impact.
11. Cameron Murray: Made a successful early return from minor shoulder surgery in Round 12. The South Sydney lock was vital for the Blues playing on an edge in all three games last year.
14. Stephen Crichton: Can fill in anywhere in the outside backs which means Wighton can switch to the halves or forwards if needed.
17. Ryan Matterson: Fittler loves bench forwards with versatility and after being dropped by Parramatta late last season, Matterson has reinvigorated his career by spending plenty of time as a middle forward. As one of the few top-line talents off contract at season’s end, he’s in line for a hefty pay increase wherever he signs his next deal.
18th man: 18. Nicho Hynes: His versatility means he’s the perfect option as the standby player. It’s better than being left right out but after filling that role for Melbourne in a grand final and the Blues in game three last year, it’s not one that he will want too many more times.
Unused reserves
19. Tyson Frizell: His club form has not been up to his usual high standards but he’s a total professional who will ensure the inexperienced Blues forwards are ready for game time.
20. Jacob Saifiti: A bit of a left-field selection who has been solid for Newcastle without being spectacular.
21. Joseph Suaalii: The young Rooster is ostensibly in the squad to soak up the experience for when he makes the leap in the future. With the way Fittler likes to throw selection curveballs, it wouldn’t be too much of a shock if he gets a run later in this year’s series.
22. Api Koroisau: Was heavily sanctioned after breaching protocols in camp last year. Will be allowed to leave officially this time around to play for Penrith on Friday against Canterbury.
18th man: 19. Jai Arrow: Has been performing well for Souths so his demotion to the reserves may have more to do with the drama he caused when found to have breached biosecurity rules in camp last year.
Unused reserves
18: Tom Dearden: Leaving the bright lights of Brisbane for the Cowboys has done wonders for the young playmaker who now also has stronger defensive chops to complement his clever attacking skills.
20. Thomas Flegler: Got his first taste of Origin in last year’s consolation win in the series finale. Relished the challenge of playing in elite company and will probably get another run later in this series.
21. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow: Another player who made the most of his Origin III call-up last year who probably would have been in the run-on side of his 2022 season hadn’t been interrupted for a month with a knee problem.
22. Murray Taulagi: Struggled to establish himself at NRL level when given a try at centre but has kicked on as a winger over the past 12 months, scoring 10 tries last year and seven from 12 games in 2022.