Blues Adviser Greg Alexander said on Thursday, injured trio Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray and Liam Martin were not certainties for Origin II - and Mitchell is now out.

Meanwhile, Queensland legend Brent Tate doesn’t believe Nicho Hynes is an Origin player as doubts surround the Sharks star’s ability to get back to the representative arena.

Brad Fittler’s phone call to Hynes has also been revealed after the Blues coach admitted the focus on the Sharks star heading into game one — and since — was unhealthy.

And Damien Cook scrapped plans for a mid-season holiday during Souths’ bye round after being called up to replace the injured Api Koroisau.

A NSW debutant could make a late switch in to the starting team, while Queensland coach Billy Slater has opened up on why he decided to snub veteran backrower Felise Kaufusi.

BLUES TRIO NO CERTAINTY TO PLAY

The Blues have made the decision to carry some injured troops in Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray and Liam Martin throughout their preparation for game two.

It has not been a strategy that NSW have historically endorsed under Fittler, but that probably is a sign of the magnitude of the task of winning in enemy territory.

Alexander revealed the players would need to prove their fitness in crunch sessions on Friday and Sunday - but Mitchell was ruled out before those even took place. He remains quietly confident the others will play, but NSW will have plans in place if they are not right come Wednesday night.

“We have got a couple of sessions to get through, so that will be the deciding factor on those players,” Alexander said.

“We have got to wait and see. That is basically where that is at. As of today I can’t say 100 per cent that they will be playing, but I’m quietly confident.

“The players need to get through Friday’s session and Sunday’s session before anyone can declare anything.

“We will give them as long as they need.”

LATRELL ONLY 50-50 TO PLAY

Blues superstar Latrell Mitchell is still only 50-50 to feature in Origin II, according to Fox League’s James Hooper.

NSW is hopeful Mitchell will be fine to play despite a calf complaint but he won’t be training until just a few days before the second game of the series.

“I think Latrell at this point in time is still a 50-50 proposition,” Hooper said on Fox League’s NRL 360 on Wednesday.

“Now the Blues absolutely need him to play, he’s a game-breaker, he’s a big game player, he’s an out-and-out superstar. As we’ve touched on a number of times already this week, look, they won’t be OK to train fully until Sunday.

“What I find interesting is the Souths physio was in camp today, they’re monitoring from a South Sydney point of view, exactly the training loads that Latrell is being put through inside NSW camp.

“And I haven’t seen that type of thing previously, so I found that interesting.”

QLD LEGEND’S BRUTAL CALL ON EXILED BLUES STAR

Queensland legend Brent Tate doesn’t believe Nicho Hynes is an Origin player as doubts surround the Sharks star’s ability to get back to the Origin arena.

Speaking on SEN radio, Tate believes Hynes would have been targeted by Queensland if he started at halfback in game two.

“I said before the first game, I love Nicho, I love what he’s about, I just don’t think he’s an Origin player myself,” Tate told SENQ Mornings.

“I just don’t see that in Nicho and I don’t mean that to be disrespectful, I’m just calling it how I see it.

“I would’ve been more than happy for them (NSW) to pick him at seven, I really think the Queenslanders would’ve went after him like they did in Game I.”

Tate believes Fittler picked Moses in a bid to save his job, but it was also the right move to win the game and force a decider.

“I think they’ve pulled the right rein either having Mitch Moses or Adam Reynolds, either one of those guys in the Blues side at halfback, they’re as good as one and other, they both bring some really good qualities,” Tate said.

“Freddy (has) made some big calls, if he doesn’t win this game, he’s gone, and I think he’ll be well aware of that.

“I guess that’s why they’ve had so much conjecture and waited so long mulling over what team to pick.”

NSW STAR MAY NOT TACKLE UNTIL GAME DAY

NRL star Liam Martin admits he may not engage in any contact sessions until game day after he suffered a head knock in Penrith’s win over the Roosters last weekend.

Martin was clearly unstable on his feet after connecting with the hip of Rooster Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

Under the NRL’s 11-day stand down, that takes Martin until the eve of Origin game two.

Speaking to Fox League, Martin said he was “feeling good” and looking forward to heading to Brisbane.

“Yeah it’s good (the head injury), still as rough as ever but feeling good,” he said.

“They’ve got protocols in place. I’m just doing as I’m told at the moment.

“At the start of the week there’s not much you can do.

“Towards at the back end, I think I’ll be back doing skills with the team and then contact maybe Captain’s Run or even game day.”

Martin said he was concerned he was “cutting it close” to being ruled out of Origin II when he headed into the sheds last weekend.

“Afterwards I felt sweet in the sheds … felt good,” he said.

“But my first thought was I was cutting it close.”

The 26-year-old had a big impact on Game I when injected from the bench at the 20-minute mark.

Martin says coach Brad Fittler has told him to expect a similar role for the must-win clash in Brisbane.

“He said I’d be doing a similar role – coming on in the middle to start with. Depending on how the back rowers are going, having a stint there,” he told Fox League.

“I’ll be sitting on the bench for the start itching to get on.

“There’s nothing better than getting a win up there and sticking it to ‘em.”

Fittler said he remained hopeful Martin passed every test required in the lead up to game day.

“He was OK after the game, so hopefully he gets through that,” he said on The Sunday Footy Show.

“Time-wise, it falls within the protocols, so he’ll be right to play. There’s also things to do with contact at training and there’s certain things they can only do at training, so that will all be supervised.”

Fellow injured teammate Cam Murray remains hopeful he’ll be passed fit for Game II as he races the clock.

“I did my third running session today… progressing really nicely, ticking everything off that I need to tick off in my rehab plan,” he told Fox League.

“Feeling really positive about it so hopefully it’s all good.

“I’m really confident (for game two). But I don’t have a crystal ball. I can guarantee I’ll be doing everything I need to do in my rehab plan to get the job done.”

Murray said he was concerned he’d miss the match when he went down with the groin injury.

“I wasn’t 100% sure what I did – I’ve never done a groin before so a bit of an unknown there,” he said.

“I had some doubts about how long I’d take to recover, but got the good news the next day that where I did tear it was a little bit away from the tendon which was good news.”

Murray said he doesn’t believe missing training sessions will hurt the team’s chances in the must-win clash in Brisbane.

“These camps are about connection and understanding your teammates … I’m trying to get that connection even though I’m in rehab,” he said.

“Hopefully come Wednesday we are ready to go.”

 

COOK SCRAPS HOLIDAY TO ANSWER BLUES S.O.S.

Damien Cook scrapped plans for a mid-season holiday on Souths’ bye round after being called up to replace the injured Api Koroisau for Origin II.

NCA Newswire reported Cook was supposed to fly out with his young family on Monday for a holiday but delayed the trip hoping that NSW coach Brad Fittler would pick him for game two in Brisbane.

“It was a long day and I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to go,” Cook told NCA Newswire.

“We were going to fly out yesterday (Monday) but we held off for one more day just hoping (that I’d be picked) because you never know (what might happen).

“It got to the point where we thought ‘maybe it’s not (happening)’ so we decided to start packing. We were going to fly out today (Tuesday) and go away on a family holiday, but as soon as we were about to start packing, I got the call.

“I get to go away for a week and the poor missus has to stay at home with the kids on her own. She was very excited for me to be here.”

Cook, 31, hoped that his Origin career wasn’t over when he missed out on selection the first time around and said a long chat with Fittler a few weeks ago kept the fire burning because he knew he was still part of the plans.

“We had a great chat after that first phone call and I let him know that I’ll always put my best foot forward at club level,” he said.

“I told him that if he ever needs me again (then I’ll be ready) and now it’s come around to that. He’s put the trust me in so I have to make sure I return it.”

FREDDY’S TRAINING ADMISSION AMID WOUNDED BLUES

Blues coach Brad Fittler admitted his side will get a limited preparation as a whole team due to scheduling and key players carrying injuries heading into game two.

The Blues will be the walking wounded this week with Cameron Murray (quad), Latrell Mitchell (calf) and Liam Martin (concussion) all on restricted duties as they bid to play on Wednesday week.

Fittler admitted to The Daily Telegraph the three players that played on Monday in the Eels’ clash with the Bulldogs had further hampered the Blues’ preparations.

“You don’t get a lot of time on the field and we’re a bit wounded so we’re going to get even less time on the field,’’ Fittler told The Daily Telegraph.

“We had three boys (Josh Addo-Carr, Junior Paulo, Mitchell Moses) play yesterday, so the (NRL) scheduling didn’t help.

“We’ll be walking, at best, for a couple of days.

“We’ll most probably get two sessions with the full team.’’

Fittler admitted the onus is on new halves pairing Mitchell Moses and Jarome Luai to carry the load in the Blues’ preparations for game two.

“They’ll have to do a lot more, because a lot of them haven’t heard from Mitchell a whole lot,’’ Fittler said.

“It was a couple of years ago (2021) that he played for us.’’

The NSW coach said he had full faith in Moses taking over the reigns of the Blues in the absence of an injured Nathan Cleary.

“I’ve always been a fan of Mitchell and watching him play yesterday gave me a lot of confidence,’’ Fittler said.

“They’ve (Eels) had big games this year, they’ve beaten Penrith this year, they had an ordinary start but I feel like they don’t run away from a challenge, Parramatta.

“And Mitchell, he likes a challenge, he takes it on.’’

FITTLER’S PHONE CALL TO AXED STAR AMID UNHEALTHY MEDIA FOCUS

Brad Fittler’s phone call to axed utility Nicho Hynes has been revealed after the Blues coach admitted the focus on the Sharks star heading into game one and since was unhealthy.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported Fittler’s thinking behind the decision to cut the prospective halfback from the squad for game two entirely.

“Nicho deserves a lot of good stuff to be happening to him,” Fittler told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“He was great in camp. But the way we were going about it, and the fact Cronulla were playing this weekend, it meant we couldn’t carry him as 19th man.

“I think he understood. Nicho had a lot of media. I don’t know if he read it all, but there was an awful lot of it, almost to the point it was unhealthy.

“I get it because he’s an incredible story. When he was here, he was always wanting to wear a smaller number, and I loved that.”

Despite missing a key tackle on Cameron Munster that led to the crucial match winning try, Fittler defended Hynes’ debut and role within the Blues team in game one.

“The only thing he did differently was defend one person out,” Fittler said.

“He did a couple of good things in that time he was on the field, which nobody will remember. He climbed over someone to save a [Murray Taulagi] try.

“But he and everyone else will only remember the other stuff. Cam Munster had to beat three blokes on the inside of him [before he got to Hynes], and he’s done that plenty of other times before.”

FITTLER’S POTENTIAL HOOKER SWITCH

NSW selector Greg Alexander revealed the Blues could be plotting big hooker switch with a debutant potentially starting.

Following Apisai Koroisau’s series-ending jaw injury, Brad Fittler reverted back to a two hooker system with both Damien Cook and Reece Robson being selected.

Cook, who already has 16 Origin games under his belt, has been named in the No.9 jersey — but Alexander let slip he could move to the bench come game-day.

That would see Robson, who is yet to play for NSW, take the field ahead of kick-off in a crucial Suncorp Stadium encounter.

“There’s a chance (he could start), I think Reece’s defence is one of the aspects of his game that sees him in the side,” Alexander said on NRL 360 on Tuesday night.

“Apart from his great service and his ability to run the ball he is a great defender so there’s a chance he could start.”

Alexander also was asked how he believes the combination between Panthers gun Jarome Luai and Eels playmaker Mitchell Moses would work.

The rugby league legend played down any doubts surrounding the duo not working together and instead pointed to the pair being the “best” players available.

“I think Jarome had a great game, he was one of our better players … when you talk about combinations, primarily they will be on the left and right hand side of the field,” Alexander said.

“They might link on occasion, but when you talk combinations and reasons why players might make sides … all those reasons, I think we just picked the two best players we thought could handle the situation.

“How that combination works, I don’t think that is absolutely vital.”

LEGEND BACKS ‘GUTSY’ FREDDY CALL

Eels legend Tim Mannah has heaped praise on Brad Fittler for making a “gutsy” call and selection Tigers prop Stefano Utoikamanu to make his NSW debut.

The 23-year-old was included in the extended Blues squad last year and the hulking forward has long been touted as future representative prospect.

While Fittler’s decision surprised many, Mannah believes Utoikamanu is a great addition to the NSW engine room.

“I love Stefano, he’s going to be another Payne Haas for NSW,” Mannah said on SEN.

“He’s got that big engine, big body, he’s hard to handle and he’s a great kid as well, and he’s a really good human which makes him even more special.

“I’m surprised to see him in this early, I also knew he was going to play Origin but I’m really happy for him.”

Mannah also admitted Utoikmananu’s selection may have come “sooner than expected”.

“It’s a pretty gutsy call by Freddy (Fittler) because there was calls to bring in Spencer Leniu, which I thought they were going to lean that way,” Mannah said.

Utoikamanu replaces Bulldogs enforcer Tevita Pangai Junior in the forward pack and has been named to come off the bench.

SLATER BREAKS SILENCE ON KAUFUSI SNUB

Maroons coach Billy Slater has opened up on why he decided to pick Cowboys gun Jeremiah Nanai over veteran backrower Felise Kaufusi.

Both players featured in Queensland’s 2022 series win, with Nanai playing in all three games and making his debut in Game I.

In 2023, Kaufusi started the year with a bang and was one of the NRL’s in-form forwards, leading the Dolphins to a string of surprise wins.

However, his season has since been hampered by suspensions.

Meanwhile, Nanai started his campaign slowly before finding form at the perfect time with a strong performance against the Storm returning from his own suspension.

“Yeah (it was a big call), but you’ve got to look at who we brought in,” Slater said on NRL 360.

“Jeremiah Nanai, who was fantastic last year and had the opportunity that Felise didn’t have to play last weekend.

“I think that was really important as well, playing football is really important. But having the option of Felise there, but also have the option with Jeremiah, I think that’s important.

“It’s a luxury we do have.”

Queensland assistant coach Cameron Smith also explained it was a “lack of football” that saw Kaufusi out of the Maroons team.

In the situation of Felise Kaufusi, who’s been there and done it before, it’s just a lack of football,” Smith said on SEN.

“There’s just no other reason that you can come up with to say why he’s not here, he just hasn’t played enough games.

“So that was the reason why Jeremiah Nanai got another opportunity, he was fantastic against the Storm.”

He also revealed the challenge Slater issued to Nanai amid a form slump in 2023 following his Dally M Rookie of the Year campaign.

“I think he was actually challenged by Billy with that time that he spent off the field,” Smith said.

“I think Billy made a phone call to him and said, ‘You need to get yourself in shape, you need to spend this time away from the footy field, freshen up, get fit, come back and I want to see some energy about your football’.

“He did that, he did what he was asked to do, and he responded well.”

RABBITOHS STAR SNUBBED … AGAIN

Rabbitohs centre Campbell Graham is one of the NRL’s most in-form players — but once again was overlooked by Brad Fittler.

The 24-year-old was included in the Blues’ Game I squad as 18th man but was subsequently ruled out with a sternum injury.

Without the niggle, the 24-year-old likely would have slotted into the centres for injured South Sydney teammate Latrell Mitchell who was also sidelined with a calf injury.

Ahead of Game II, Graham featured for the Rabbitohs in a loss to the Dragons while Mitchell remained sidelined.

Now, NSW officials will monitor Mitchell’s fitness leading in to the crucial Suncorp Stadium clash and the superstar is expected to take the field, partnering Tom Trbojevic in the centres.

Jai Arrow, who has also been ruled out of Game II after suffering an ankle injury, believes Graham deserves to be in the Blues’ team.

“Don’t like it, as a mate. I think he’s built for it, he’s built for that arena,” Arrow said on NRL 360.

“He’s been the form player of the competition throughout this whole year and I think he deserves a chance.

“But I am sure it comes one day for him.”