Daley urged to backflip on Origin selection with NSW player likely to be ruled out
NSW fans are urging coach Laurie Daley to bring Souths enforcer Keaon Koloamatangi into the Blues squad for Game 2 of the State of Origin series amid fears Warriors prop Mitch Barnett will be ruled out with injury. The Blues and Warriors will be sweating on the results of scans for Barnett, who limped off with a knee injury in the first half of Sunday's 36-30 victory over the Bunnies at Accor Stadium.
Barnett was immense for NSW in their Game 1 victory over the Maroons at Suncorp Stadium, but his availability for Game 2 in Perth has been left in serious doubt after a nasty incident on Sunday. Barnett clutched at his right knee after landing awkwardly on his leg while attempting to make a tackle midway through the first half, and will undergo scans back in Auckland on Monday.
The injury came just four days after Barnett helped lay the platform for NSW in their series-opening win, and two-and-a-half weeks out from the second Origin game in Perth. "He's done a knee injury of some description, but we're waiting for scans," Warriors coach Andrew Webster said.
"We honestly don't know what it is at the moment. He could be fine in a couple of weeks - I don't want to be talking like he is not with us any more. If you do a medial or PCL, you're never (mobile). There are different grades to different injuries, and until you look under the hood you never know."
Mitch Barnett is off & won't return with a right knee injury.Worrisome mechanism - planted foot heavily & appeared to shift below knee + collapsed inward. Video brings concern for ACL injury, best case hopefully escapes with meniscus/MCL damage. No details from Warriors as yet. pic.twitter.com/SJQNStMCCN
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) June 1, 2025
If Barnett is ruled out, Daley will have a big decision to make about which prop will partner Payne Haas in the Blues' starting side, as well as who comes into the NSW bench rotation. Stefano Utoikamanu would appear to be the frontrunner after being named by Daley as NSW's back-up front-rower for the series opener, but his form has not been as eye-catching as Rabbitohs wrecking ball, Koloamatangi.
Utoikamanu only played 27 mins for the Storm in Saturday's win over the lowly Titans, running for 102m from seven hit-ups and making 15 tackles. While Koloamatangi put in another massive 80-minute shift playing in the middle for a losing Souths side on Sunday, that included a try, 39 tackles and a whopping 189 run metres.
Koloamatangi has been in superb form since moving from from second row to prop, having run for a combined 494 metres in his previous two games since making the switch. And he was at his destructive best again on Sunday, busting eight tackles and scoring the Rabbitohs' first try when he barged through three defenders close to the line.
"Keaon's numbers are great, and he is playing a full 80 minutes," Souths coach Wayne Bennett said after the match. "He is not even looking to be brought off the ground. That is the remarkable thing at the moment. For a middle forward it's all about workload. Payne Haas is pretty good at it too, but this guy is in that league."
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Former NSW coach Brad Fittler - who handed Koloamatangi his his one and only Blues appearance two years ago - was among those to suggest he should be considered to replace Barnett if the Warriors prop is ruled out. Koloamatangi's versatility and ability to play through the middle or on an edge could give him the advantage over the likes of Utoikamanu and Wests Tigers star Terrell May, who many thought was unlucky to be overlooked for the Blues' Game 1 squad.
Something tells me it's going to be Stefano as he was the one on standby for Haas. Surely Keaon gets it
— JG (@Jaiggg_) June 1, 2025
So Terrell May or Keaon Koloamatangi for origin as sadly Barnett seems gone #NRLSouthsWarriors
— Nikki (@Easts4Life) June 1, 2025
That's my Blue 🫡
— Kmac (@Kjmac89) June 1, 2025
Stefano already there?
— Rob Cotterill (@robbiecotterill) June 1, 2025
As a NSW fan, Keaon. As a Bunnies fan and someone who just traded in Keaon for fantasy this week, May.
— Kingberry168 (@jberr59) June 1, 2025
with AAP
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