Coaches announce final line-ups for game one




Laurie Daley and Billy Slater have resisted the urge to make late changes to their line-ups for the State of Origin series opener.

Both teams will go into the Suncor Stadium showdown 1-17 after Blues duo Stephen Crichton and Payne Haas overcame thigh injury concerns.

Stefano Utoikamanu and Campbell Graham had been placed on standby with the South Sydney centre to remain as the emergency player on the NSW interchange.

Broncos winger Jesse Arthars was the last Maroon chopped from their extended squad with uncapped Bulldogs veteran Kurt Mann on the bench as the standby player.

Mitchell Moses beat Jarome Luai in the race to partner Nathan Cleary in the halves, with the 2024 Origin winner named in the No.6 jersey.

With Jake Trbojevic missing out after a concussion suffered for Manly recently, Isaah Yeo will captain the team.

Bench forward Max King is the only Blues player making his Origin debut.

Slater has brought in a few new faces in his bid to win back the State of Origin shield due to injuries and form.

Robert Toia (Sydney Roosters), Beau Fermor (Gold Coast Titans) and Trent Loiero (Melbourne Storm) all earned their debut Maroons jerseys.

Broncos duo Reece Walsh (knee) and Ben Hunt (hamstring) are unavailable, with Dolphins captain Tom Gilbert also missing after suffering a pectoral injury.

The Maroons have Cameron Munster and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui back after they missed last year’s series, but all eyes will remain on Toia’s battle with Mitchell.

“It’s a real strength of his game the defensive side,” Slater said. “Sure it’s a big task, but he has a few strengths to outlay as well.

“He is a quality player with a lot of talents. He is here because he is mature beyond his years in terms of the habits of his game.”

Game 1 teams

Queensland Maroons Number NSW Blues
Kalyn Ponga 1 Dylan Edwards
Xavier Coates 2 Brian To’o
Robert Toia 3 Stephen Crichton
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 4 Latrell Mitchell
Valentine Holmes 5 Zac Lomax
Cameron Munster 6 Mitchell Moses
Daly Cherry-Evans (c) 7 Nathan Cleary
Moeaki Fotuaika 8 Mitchell Barnett
Harry Grant 9 Reece Robson
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 10 Payne Haas
Reuben Cotter 11 Liam Martin
Jeremiah Nanai 12 Angus Crichton
Patrick Carrigan 13 Isaah Yeo (c)
Bench
Tom Dearden 14 Connor Watson
Lindsay Collins 15 Spencer Leniu
Beau Fermor 16 Hudson Young
Trent Loiero 17 Max King
Reserves
Kurt Mann 18 Campbell Graham
Jesse Arthars 19 Stefano Utoikamanu



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