NSW coach Laurie Daley breathed a sigh of relief when Mitch Moses, Zac Lomax, Stephen Crichton, Max King and new 18th man Matt Burton all came through the final NRL game of the weekend unscathed, but was quick to declare: “The job isn’t finished.”
The Blues announced their team late Monday, with King to start up front for the injured Mitch Barnett, Melbourne’s Stefano Utoikamanu added to the bench, while Burton, South Sydney’s Keaon Koloamatangi and Penrith’s Lindsay Smith rounded out the extended bench.
Manly’s Haumole Olakau’atu was due to be in the extended squad, but informed Daley he would not travel to the other side of the country because his partner was due to give birth.
As he braved a chilly night at the Blues’ training camp in Leura, Daley checked in with the Canterbury and Parramatta medical teams before hitting send on his 20-man squad.
Queensland named their squad early Monday, which included the shock axing of skipper and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans, news which was not lost on Daley.
“Obviously that was a big decision, but they would have thought it through, and the bloke who is coming in [Tom Dearden] is a really good player,” Daley said.
Stephen Crichton came through Monday’s game unscathed.Credit: Getty Images
“It makes no difference to us. As we did in the first camp, we’ll only focus on ourselves rather than the opposition.
“The boys who played today are all sweet. They were all heavily involved, which is what you want to see. They are determined to be back and playing in game two. They know the job isn’t finished, and they want to be a part of this opportunity to wrap it all up.
“We added Keaon and Lindsay, which gives us the flexibility of having a front-rower and a back-rower, while ‘Burto’ gives us cover in the outside backs.
“With Haumole, we decided it was best for him to miss camp. He’s got a little one on the way, and it would have been no good having him in Perth if something happened.”
Haumole Olakau’atu has pulled out of the Blues’ squad because his partner is due to give birth.Credit: Getty Images
Victory in Perth would be the perfect redemption story for Daley who spent five years coaching against the finest Queensland teams ever assembled for just the one series triumph.
The Blues defeated the Maroons 18-6 in their own backyard in game one, and just as the home side and Slater said they would improve, so, too, will the Blues.
Daley won game one at Suncorp Stadium in 2017 before the Maroons fought back to win the series, which would be Daley’s last.
The Blues’ record in Perth is excellent, winning both games in 2019 and 2022 by a combined 82-18 margin.
NSW Blues squad for Origin II in Perth on June 18
1. Dylan Edwards (Penrith Panthers)
2. Brian To’o (Penrith Panthers)
3. Stephen Crichton (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
4. Latrell Mitchell (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
5. Zac Lomax (Parramatta Eels)
6. Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels)
7. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
8. Max King (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
9. Reece Robson (North Queensland Cowboys)
10. Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)
11. Liam Martin (Penrith Panthers)
12. Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)
13. Isaah Yeo (c) (Penrith Panthers)
14. Connor Watson (Sydney Roosters)
15. Spencer Leniu (Sydney Roosters)
16. Hudson Young (Canberra Raiders)
17. Stefano Utoikamanu (Melbourne Storm)
18. Matt Burton (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
19. Keaon Koloamatangi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
20. Lindsay Smith (Penrith Panthers)
Coach: Laurie Daley
Up to 14 NSW players were involved in NRL games on Sunday and Monday, compared to the Maroons’ two. Daley will need to go easy with most of his squad in the early half of the week to allow them to get sufficient rest and recovery.
Crichton went into Origin I with a quad strain, then revealed after the win over Parramatta that he had “strained my neck” while practising goalkicking at Sunday’s captain’s run, “which is a first”.
The coach would have loved what he saw in the space of three minutes in the first half at a wet Accor Stadium involving three of his Blues.
Lomax did well to pluck a Burton pass out of the air, stayed in the field of play, ran a few metres before sending Moses racing 80 metres down field. Moses never took the foot off the gas and beat off three Bulldogs’ defenders, including Josh Curran who refused to give up.
Then Crichton popped up on the other side of the field and man-handled Isaiah Iongi when he tried to get on his outside. Crichton was having none of it and wrestled him into touch.
Moses was placed on report for a high shot on Daniel Suluka-Fifita late in the game, but should escape with a fine if charged.
The Eels and Dogs contingent will join their teammates in the Blue Mountains early Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Slater said of his decision to axe Cherry-Evans: “We just feel Tom is the right person for the No.7 jersey right now … you won’t hear a negative word from me about Daly Cherry-Evans.
“What he has given this jersey and what he has done for this footy team and this group, that will be with all Queenslanders and with Daly for the rest of his life.
“No-one can take that away from him. We just feel that you earn every opportunity to play in this jersey, and we feel that Tom Dearden has earned the opportunity to play in the No.7 jersey.
“We feel it is the right thing for the footy team. We just want Tom Dearden to do his job and be the best version of Tommy Dearden that he can be. He will get a bit of support around him.”
