Bulldogs centre Stephen Crichton has sent an injury scare through the NSW camp after failing to finish Monday’s training session in Brisbane.
The sight of Crichton limping from the field with an ice pack on his left quad is the last thing Blues coach Laurie Daley will want to see just 40 hours out from Origin I at Suncorp Stadium.
Blues officials were hoping th injury was nothing more than a cork.
Crichton carried a groin injury on the same leg into Canterbury’s last game, and was restricted at training as a result.
While most eyes were on prop Payne Haas and whether his quad would cope with the first serious hit-out this camp, the Blues were not expecting the game’s best centre to exit early.
South Sydney’s Campbell Graham filled in at right centre for the remainder of the morning against Queensland Cup side Wynnum Manly. He will start if Crichton is ruled out.
Haas still appeared hampered by a quad injury,only completing a handful of tackles during the opposed session before reverting to sprint drills on the sideline.
Blues officials remain hopeful the Brisbane front-rower will be fit to start at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night, with Stefano Utoikamanu on stand-by.
As Haas races the clock, Les Kiss, the former Queensland winger and incoming Wallabies coach was spotted on the sidelines.
Kiss, a former North Sydney Bears player who featured in four Origin games for the Maroons, was at the venue in his role as Queensland Reds coach.
The 60-year-old will attend his first Origin game in more than 20 years, and admitted there were a few players in the NSW and Queensland teams that would look good as Wallabies.
Payne Haas at Blues training at Ballymore on Monday.Credit: Getty Images
“I’ve cast my eye over both teams,” Kiss said. “I’d love to have a couple of them, but at the moment we’re really happy with what we’ve got. Joseph [Suaalii] joined us recently, you guys got Marky [Nawaqanitawase] to the Sydney Roosters.
“Both teams here have a few guys who could easily represent the Wallabies. But we’re happy with our lot at the moment.”
Pressed to name names, Kiss smiled and said: “As soon as I put a name to it, I’ll get castigated from the rugby circles.”
Kiss was a fan of Blues halfback Nathan Cleary, and compared him to the greatest Queenslander of all, Wally Lewis.
“He’s a legend, what’s he done with the Panthers has been unbelievable, and he’s a guy we need to close down,” Kiss said. “His combination with a few boys will go a long way to those boys being in the hunt.
“He’s in the top four or five of the game [ever], and one of those players who make things happen in a game. Wally Lewis could take hold of an arena, the referee’s mindset, and the opposition and how they think about the game.
“I think Nathan has that same capacity do to that – if you’re in the top four or five players ever in the game, you do more than just do your role, you take control of the environment. Nathan does that.”
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