coach Michael Maguire has made the decision to recall Jarome Luai to the NSW fold in place of his injured teammate Nathan Cleary. The Panthers five-eighth will play at halfback for the Blues and is one of the most pivotal players in Maguire’s team as the NSW coach gambles on a relatively untested spine for Game I.
Maguire on Sunday night handed out six debuts for the June 5 series-opener in Sydney, with the most notable being Dylan Edwards at fullback in place of James Tedesco. Only six Blues from game three last year avoided the axe, with a combination of injuries and poor form handing Maguire an impossible selection assignment.
The Sharks star has been in top form in 2023 and 2024 but he had a shocker off the bench in his Origin debut last year. He was subsequently dumped by then-coach Brad Fittler, which took a huge toll on his confidence.
While at fullback Edwards will make his State of Origin debut and hooker Reece Robson has only one Origin start and one appearance off the bench. And with more of a leadership role falling on Luai in this year’s Origin series, Maguire will hope he can step up in the absence of his teammate Cleary.
Luai has shown he can take control of a side, doing exactly that for Penrith in recent weeks in the absence of their No.7. While he will need to step up again in Origin, Luai says he will be working hard alongside Cleary on the training ground to ensure he is up for the challenge.
It is in the spine where the Blues’ inexperience is most telling. Luai has played seven Origins for NSW and was part of the 2021 series victory at five-eighth but he was dropped after game two last year – after a brain snap saw him sent off for head-butting Queensland’s Reece Walsh. He will partner Nicho Hynes in the halves for Game I.
