Sims has had a mixed start to 2019, in similar fashion to his club side St George Illawarra, and has probably been a bit below his barnstorming best thus far. The South Sydney halfback last played State of Origin in 2016 and has failed to find a way back into the team since, but his partnership with Cody Walker is the best in the competition this season. However, the 23-year-old missed the first match of last year's series with a hamstring injury before scoring a hat-trick from the centres in game two despite playing just two NRL games in the lead up. Cody Walker's sensational form for South Sydney will win him a State of Origin reprieve, with Blues coach Brad Fittler saying that the Rabbitohs five-eighth will make his 27-man squad. "Especially when he came into the game last year and did a great job. The Roosters’ No.6 was considered by many to be a lock for the Blues five-eighth spot heading into Round 11.

The Raiders winger has been mentioned in Origin selection meetings for the last couple of seasons and finally gets the nod to debut in the 2019 series opener. Walker’s toughness and elite running game make him a near-perfect Origin player and he has the ability to break games open if it’s tight at the back end. "He's been a great player for the Blues in the past two series and big reason why the Blues have won the last two series," said hooker Damien Cook.

The 32-year-old veteran of 273 first grade games and 14 Origins was effectively retired, but he was willing to answer an S.O.S from Fittler if required.
Last year was the year for Angus Crichton.

Fittler will add players to the extended squad every Sunday as more teams are eliminated from the NRL's finals series. Cleary put in a timely man-of-the-match performance against the Eels on Thursday night that may have just clinched his spot at the 11th hour.

The 20-year-old has been a favourite of Fittler for some time and his physicality and aggression is set to see him thrive in the origin arena.

He led the NRL in tries after 10 rounds with 11, and had the same number of try assists. The Sharks veteran has come from the nowhere to join Latrell Mitchell in the Blues centres after an injury crisis in the position. A suspension from Round 10 possibly robbed the veteran playmaker of one final chance to convince Fittler of keeping him in the Origin side. He has consistently played 80 minutes in the second row for the Roosters, but hasn’t had the same impact this season. NSW gun Tom Trbojevic has ruled himself out of the State of Origin series after battling shoulder and hamstring injuries. Haas will become the least experienced player picked to play Origin football since Ben Ikin in 1995.

Trbojevic's troublesome hamstring forced him out in round six and then he picked up a shoulder injury in round 19. The 38-6 victory in Perth kept the series alive for the Blues off the back of Trbojevic's performance before they wrapped it up in the decider in Sydney.

Simon Brunsdon, John Dean, Pamela Whaley, George Clarke and Mark St John, Addo-Carr’s Storm milestone sinks Bulldogs, Hodgson adds to Raiders woes; Cowboy ruptures spleen, DCE plus FOUR Origin rookies to make extended Maroons squad, Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. "I probably feel a little bit sorry for Tom because I know how professional he is about everything off the field with his injuries. He’s struggled for form at club level and his Panthers are seriously battling. Injuries to fellow halfback hopefuls Adam Reynolds and Mitchell Pearce and Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary no doubt worked in his favour. NRL Round Table: Are the Eels still in with a shot? However, since switching clubs to the Roosters and battling through a few injury concerns, he has failed to recapture the form that made him absolutely impossible to ignore last year. NSW Origin team - Game 1 2015 # ... as the NSW coach reportedly rang the Origin veteran on Monday night to deliver the bad news.

Matches were first … However, he’s been overlooked for a younger model in Nick Cotric. NRL Round Table: Can Fittler really pick Tommy Turbo for Blues? These are the winners and losers from Fittler’s Origin I team. Since captaining the Indigenous All Stars side in February, Walker has seemingly gone to a new level with the Rabbitohs and is arguably the best player in the competition over the opening third of the season. The Blues will be missing Tom Trbojevic’s yardage out of trouble and Cotric’s combative style will go some way towards making up for his absence.

"He's a quality player, he's one of the best players in our game when he's fit so I just hope he gets his body right for the future of his playing career.".

The Canberra flyer has scored 30 tries in just 58 games of first grade since his debut in 2017 and was considered unlucky to miss out for a Blues berth last season. He’s considered one of the best wingers in the competition and his powerful carries have been huge for the Eels this season. Incumbent James Roberts’ injury and form issues were compounded by season ending injuries to Joey Leilua and Jack Bird opening up the race to the right centre spot. But with other halves banging down the door, Fittler was ultimately left with no choice.
While he misses out this time, he certainly won’t be out of the mix in future games if injury or form permits. The "NSW Tooheys Blues" celebrate an Origin series win in 1994 (left) and captain Laurie Daley celebrates in 1993 (right). NRL Round Table: Will SBW make an impact for Roosters? The Parramatta flyer has missed just one game this season through injury, and was averaging 159 run metres and 16.4 runs across nine matches to start the year. However, he’s been overlooked for Nathan Cleary, which is welcome news for the Rabbitohs but devastating for Reynolds. But in truth, Maloney’s cards were probably marked well before Round 10. The 19-year-old gets the nod after just 10 NRL games. The incumbent Blues halfback has put a poor run of form to open the season behind him to retain his place in the side. "It must have been a difficult but selfless decision for Tom to put the team first ahead of his desire to play in the series next month.". Morris has never let down his state, after marking Greg Inglis for much of his career and he will no doubt do the Blues proud yet again. The State of Origin series is the annual best-of-three rugby league football match series between the New South Wales Blues and the Queensland Maroons. The withdrawal of NSW gun Tom Trbojevic from the State of Origin series has come as a blow to Blues teammates after his stellar two-game performance last year. NRL Round Table: What does the future hold for Wests Tigers? The Manly and Blues utility back, who hardly played this NRL season with shoulder and hamstring injuries, pulled out of Brad Fittler's extended squad on Thursday.

Trbojevic was one of five players named by Fittler and was scheduled to go into camp on October 19 ahead of the opening match of the interstate series in Adelaide on November 4. He’s also been making 32.4 tackles per game, averaging just one missed. NRL teams: Haas exits bubble, Tedesco rested, Six Again: Roosters lock up Tedesco for a song, Sharks take down the Warriors to book finals berth, Keary, Tupou doubles help Roosters to big win, Raiders hammer Dragons with brilliant 2nd half display, Penrith take down Parramatta in top-4 derby, Manly snap losing streak against Canterbury. Ferguson hasn’t played an Origin game since 2017 after he and ex-Blues teammate Josh Dugan were busted drinking days before the series decider. A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites.

Standing at 184cm and weighing 90kg, Murray provides plenty of threat in the middle of the park, especially around lazy markers or tired defenders.

Tigers have the Fox in sight, Nofoaluma going nowhere, NRL teams: Ponga rested, Bulldogs shakeup, Talking with Daryl Halligan about goal kicking, Six Again: Sonny Bill Williams returns with a whimper, Cowboys end nine match losing streak with Golden Point victory, Eels deal a blow to the Warriors' finals chances, Roosters takes down Raiders on Sonny Bill's return, Tigers snatch incredible comeback win over Sea Eagles, Titans hold off Bulldogs for consecutive wins, Late Storm surge steals victory from Rabbitohs, Ponga hat-trick helps Knights sink Sharks. Maloney’s Origin future could well be non-existent given his age, the form of other NSW players, and the fact he’s been linked to a move away from the NRL at season’s end. The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. He will be looking to reward Brad Fittler’s faith in him and produce his best for the side.

He’s surpassed 150 running metres on four occasions this season and cracked the double ton once.

With James Tedesco assured of the NSW fullback jersey, Trbojevic was poised to slot in at wing or centre. "I've seen it first hand in camp how he deals with everything and the injuries he's had. This is also known as Online Behavioural Advertising.

The 21-year-old has averaged 60 minutes per game this year, the most of his short career to date, and has averaged 11.4 runs and 107 metres. The following year, coach Ron Willey guided New South Wales to the first series clean-sweep in State of Origin history.

BLUES TEAM: Fittler confirms his 17-man squad, Live stream the 2019 NRL Telstra Premiership on KAYO SPORTS.