Michael Maguire faces a potentially series-defining choice between four centres as he prepares to enter State of Origin III without Latrell Mitchell.
Mitchell is expected to be ruled out of the July 17 decider on Sunday, only hours before Maguire unveils his team for Origin III at Suncorp Stadium.
Queensland coach Billy Slater also has a tough call to make out wide with Selwyn Cobbo the frontrunner to replace Melbourne winger Xavier Coates after he was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Maguire would have entered this weekend hoping to be able to go into the decider unchanged, with NSW humming following their 38-18 win in Melbourne.
Instead, he has been handed one of the worst possible setbacks, with Mitchell thought to have suffered a potentially season-ruining foot injury.
Maguire does have options for left centre.
Bradman Best will likely be the leading contender, having scored a double for NSW on debut last year, before injury ruled him out of Origin I last month.
He must first get through the Knights’ clash with Canberra unscathed on Sunday afternoon, with Maguire to name his squad almost immediately after the game.
Joseph Suaalii is also available again after his ban for hitting Reece Walsh high in Origin I, with his four-game suspension now served.
Tom Trbojevic and Burton are the other options, with the former indicating he felt he would be ready for Origin after his return for Manly on Saturday night.
Burton, meanwhile, is the man with the momentum.
The two-time NSW centre said he would be ready if recalled on the back of his second game-winning performance for Canterbury in as many weeks.
Latrell Mitchell. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Burton was unaware Mitchell’s Origin hopes had been thrown into doubt when he slotted a field goal to sink the Warriors 13-12 in extra time on Saturday.
“I don’t really know (about Mitchell’s injury),” he said. “I’d be more than open to putting my hand up for NSW if they needed me. I’m ready.”
The 24-year-old was 18th man for the series opener – a role he has filled three times across the past two series. He is keen to get back in camp if chosen at left centre – the position he played in Penrith’s 2021 premiership triumph.
“You can see in game two what they showed, there’s something special building there,” Burton said. “It was unreal to be around the boys in game one.”
NSW left centre and Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton believed Burton’s recent clutch performances for Canterbury proved his Origin mettle. “He just didn’t shy away from it, trusted his process, and he’s done the same before playing centre as well,” Crichton said.
“He knows how to defend at centre and how to read shapes when they come. I’d definitely have confidence in him if he is selected for that left centre.”
Slater could slot 22-year-old Cobbo, who was left out of the 38-18 game-two loss to recover from injury niggles, straight in on the wing where he has represented Queensland before.
He could also move Valentine Holmes to wing and play Cobbo as a centre, where he performed strongly for Queensland in the 38-10 win in game one after coming off the bench when Reece Walsh was concussed and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow moved from centre to fullback.
Newcastle’s Dane Gagai, 18th man for the Maroons in game two and a veteran of 22 Origin games where he has scored 12 Origin tries, is a further option.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira, the NRL’s equal leading tryscorer, and his Gold Coast teammate Phil Sami are out-of-the-box choices.
North Queensland veteran Kyle Feldt, who played two Origin games in 2021 has been in stellar form and is another possibility as a winger, although unlikely.
David Fifita is also pushing for a recall at the Gold Coast with the Maroons needing impact in their pack.
“He’s got to be in the picture,” Titans coach Des Hasler said. “His footy the last six weeks has been pretty strong. He might have a couple of mates with him.
“Mo (Fotuaika) will be there again, but Beau Fermor I think has also been playing really strong footy as well.”
Likely Blues team
1 Dylan Edwards (Panthers)
2 Brian To’o (Panthers)
3 Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs)
4 Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)
5 Zac Lomax (Dragons)
6 Jarome Luai (Panthers)
7 Mitchell Moses (Eels)
8 Jake Trbojevic (c) (Sea Eagles)
9 Reece Robson (Cowboys)
10 Payne Haas (Broncos)
11 Liam Martin (Panthers)
12 Angus Crichton (Roosters)
13 Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs)
14 Connor Watson (Roosters)
15 Isaah Yeo (Panthers)
16 Haumole Olakau’atu (Sea Eagles)
17 Spencer Leniu (Roosters)
18 Mitch Barnett (Warriors)
19 Cameron McInnes (Sharks)
20 Luke Keary (Roosters)
Likely Maroons team
1 Reece Walsh (Broncos)
2 Selwyn Cobbo (Broncos)
3 Valentine Holmes (Cowboys)
4 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (Dolphins)
5 Murray Taulagi (Cowboys)
6 Tom Dearden (Cowboys)
7 Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
8 Reuben Cotter (Cowboys)
9 Ben Hunt (Dragons)
10 Lindsay Collins (Roosters)
11 Jaydn Su’A (Dragons)
12 Jeremiah Nanai (Cowboys)
13 Patrick Carrigan (Broncos)
14 Harry Grant (Storm)
15 Moeaki Fotuaika (Titans)
16 David Fifita (Titans)
17 Kurt Capewell (Warriors)
18 Felise Kaufusi (Dolphins)
19 Dane Gagai (Knights)
20 Ezra Mam (Broncos)
with AAP
The Roarhttps://https://ift.tt/ICQpTVs III teams: The four Blues options in the mix to replace Latrell, Maroons need a wing and some flair
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