Payne Haas cleared to play State of Origin but Stephen Crichton doubtful for NSW Blues
Payne Haas will play for NSW, but Stephen Crichton will need to prove his fitness on the morning of the State of Origin opener.
The Canterbury captain and star centre is battling a corked quadriceps he suffered in a collision during training on Monday, forcing him to leave the session early.
ABC Sport will have live blog coverage of the women's and men's State of Origin series.
Campbell Graham is on stand-by for the Lang Park opener if Crichton is not cleared.
Coach Laurie Daley said he would give his right centre every chance, confident Test talent Graham could slot in at late notice given he had been in camp since day one.
Daley, speaking before Tuesday's captain's run, cleared Brisbane prop Haas despite the Broncos weapon not yet training fully in the Blues' camp as he battled his own quadriceps complaint.
"Payne will play [and, with] Critta, see how he is tomorrow," Daley said.
"He didn't have scans; it's a cork, no strain or anything like that.
"Just trying to control the swelling and see how he is tomorrow morning."
Meanwhile, Valentine Holmes is preparing to join a prestigious group that has played 20 games for Queensland.
The 29-year-old will be awarded the FOGS Dick "Tosser" Turner Medal after the series opener on Wednesday night, in honour of the late and legendary former team manager regarded as the godfather of the Maroons.
Queensland skipper Daly Cherry-Evans (25 games) is the only other Maroon in the current team to have been awarded the medal for reaching the 20-game milestone.
"It means everything to me," Holmes told AAP.
"You want to wear the jersey once, but to do it 20 times is very special. It makes me feel old in one way but it is also very humbling. I can't wait. I think of the great players that have played 20 Origins and it is not an easy task. I am grateful and honoured.
"Ben Hunt last year played his 20th and we had a chat about what [Turner] meant for the state and this team. It is pretty cool how the Maroons honour people of the past who have done so much for this jersey."
Holmes is the third-highest tryscorer in State of Origin history with 13, behind Greg Inglis (18) and Darius Boyd (17).
AAP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
20 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Rosehill Turf Talk: Ray Thomas and Shayne O'Cass crack the code for punters on Saturday
Form analysts Ray Thomas and Shayne O'Cass debate all the key chances on the 10-race card at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. â– â– â– â– â– Ray Thomas: James Cummings to Hong Kong, James McDonald is on the verge of a national Group 1 riding record, Snitzel passes away – it's been a big news week, Shayno! Shayne O'Cass: Sad, incredible and tragic. There's my unsolicited take on all that RT. CUMMINGS' SHOCK HONG KONG SWITCH Trainer @JamesCummings88 will withdraw his application for the famous Leilani Lodge stables at Royal Randwick after accepting an offer to train at @HKJC_Racing. Story: @RayThomas_1 ðŸ'‡ — Racenet (@RacenetTweets) June 10, 2025 Thomas: At least we can do some extra form Friday night while watching Australia against South Africa in the World Test Championship Final at Lords. How do you see the Winter Cup at Rosehill? It looks like a very competitive race but I've landed on Bear On The Loose. O'Cass: You going to wear your Lords tie to Rosehill tomorrow RT? I fancy this grey stayer from the Archibald yard, Mormona. It'll run all day and night and the Lord Mayor's Cup blew out any cobwebs. See the sights! Touristic wins the Listed Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill, and that's a double to Andy Adkins today! 🙌 ðŸ�† @SnowdenRacing1 | @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 31, 2025 Thomas: I thought one of the best bets on the program was Codetta. She ran a blinder first-up behind King's Secret two weeks ago, gets onto a soft track and is out to 1100m. O'Cass: Concur. She's a half to Riff Rocket, what a broodmare Missile Coda has been so far. Danger might be Useapin who can perform fresh. It's no secret that King's Secret has a bright future! ðŸ'' He wins at Rosehill for @PrideRacing and Andrew Adkins! @aus_turf_club | @ProvenTbreds — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 31, 2025 • 'We're all devastated': Super stallion Snitzel dies Thomas: Mickey's Medal endured a tough run last start and was still able to win. He should get all the favours this time and has to be hard to beat again. O'Cass: I'm with our man David Payne and Agita. How's this: 1500m, first-up at home, no real weight and he's 33/1! 'NEVER SEEN A BETTER JOCKEY' The record holder for most Group 1 wins for a jockey in a season, Malcolm Johnston, pays @mcacajamez the ultimate tribute as today's number one hoop closes in on the Miracle mark. Story: @RayThomas_1 ðŸ'‡ — Racenet (@RacenetTweets) June 10, 2025 Thomas: J-Mac has Hidden Achievement in the JJ Atkins and Rothfire for the Stradbroke. He needs one Group 1 win to equal 'Miracle' Mal Johnston's record of 16 Group 1 wins he set in Kingston Town's day. O'Cass: Maybe so, but he'll never make a better ad than Miracle's Tooheys commercial! Thomas: Golden Mile has been working his way back to winning form and I think he can provide James Cummings with a farewell major for Godolphin in the 'Straddie'. O'Cass: He might do a Daybreak Lover. That is, go to stud, come back and win a Group 1. It's so rare. Thomas: Off the racetrack, I'm hoping the Aussies get it done at Lords and then we can look forward to Origin 2 in Perth next Wednesday where the Blues can clinch the series.
News.com.au
25 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Socceroos midfielder Patrick Yazbek set for immediate return to club duty with Nashville
The 'business as usual' attitude that helped Patrick Yazbek play an important role for the Socceroos in their wins over Japan and Saudi Arabia will again apply on Sunday when the former Sydney FC midfielder returns to duty for his American club Nashville. While most of the Socceroos squad that sealed FIFA World Cup qualification with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Wednesday morning (AEST) are now taking a break ahead of their 2025-26 campaigns, it's not the case for 23-year-old Yazbek. With the Major Soccer League season running from March to November, Yazbek and his Socceroos teammates Aiden O'Neill (New York City) and Kye Rowles (DC United) have immediate club duties to tend to. 'I have a game this week, so it's business as usual for me,' Yazbek said ahead of Nashville's away clash with Chicago Fire on Sunday morning. However, despite needing to put 2026 World Cup qualification celebrations on hold, Yazbek likes the thought of getting back to work to further his case for ongoing Socceroos selection. It was a similar attitude that resulted in him being chosen in this month's Socceroos squad after being overlooked for March's wins over Indonesia and China. 'That was my mentality before this camp – play well at my club and hopefully I'll be selected,' he said. 'I had a good month for Nashville in May, and that allowed me to be involved in this camp. 'That's the approach going into the next year's World Cup – play consistent, play well, and if I get called in, really make an impression like I think I did in this camp.' Yazbek definitely impressed. He added significant energy to Australia after coming on at the start of the second half in the Socceroos' 1-0 win over Japan last Thursday night in Perth. The performance secured him his maiden Socceroos starting berth a few days later against Saudi Arabia. 'Being able to start, I felt comfortable … it was an honour,' Yazbek said. 'It's such a competitive environment and such a competitive position too (midfield). 'I had to just draw back on what got me in the squad in the first place – playing consistently and playing well for my club.' Yazbek, who joined Nashville in July last year from Norwegian outfit Viking, said the quality of the MLS competition should not be underestimated. 'It's a really good place to play, and it's only getting better,' he said. 'There's so much money floating throughout the league to attract players and bring good young players in. It's not that 'old league' that it had previously been seen as. 'The facilities, the stadiums, the scheduling and the travelling – it's world class, We have a lot of luxuries that you wouldn't get anywhere else in the world. 'The quality's constantly going up, there are plenty of games and I'm excited to see what the next few years have in store.'
West Australian
41 minutes ago
- West Australian
Dropped DCE has little to prove, but data says Manly do
Anthony Seibold insists Daly Cherry-Evans has nothing to prove following his State of Origin axing, as Manly try to right a poor run on the road against low-ranked teams. Cherry-Evans will play his first game on Friday night since being dropped as Queensland No.7, leading a near full-strength Sea Eagles side against Gold Coast. The 36-year-old's Origin omission has dominated headlines this week, with Cherry-Evans the first captain dropped mid-series by either state this century. Manly's No.7 has not spoken publicly, but played one of his best games of the year a fortnight ago against Brisbane when talk first emerged around his selection. Seibold did not want to delve into the debate around Queensland's decision to drop Cherry-Evans, but said the halfback had responded well. "He hasn't got anything to prove," the Manly coach said. "He's coming up somewhere around 340 games in the NRL, plus all the representative footy, so he doesn't have a point to prove to anybody. "There's obvious disappointment there, but there's also a great deal of pride. "(He's captained) his state 20 times and he's played 26 games for Queensland, so there's a lot to reflect on and look back and be proud about." Manly will have Tom Trbojevic back from a cork to his thigh, while winger Jason Saab will return from illness and Siua Taukeiaho a calf issue. That means the Sea Eagles enter Friday night as firm favourites, with the Titans in last place and without Origin representatives Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Moeaki Fotuaika. Recent history is, however, not kind to Manly in games they have been expected to win. Data from Sportsbet shows the Sea Eagles have lost their past four away games when considered favourites. Since August, Manly have given up 16-0 leads to Wests Tigers and Newcastle away from home, to go with losses to the Warriors and Parramatta. As if to underline their Jekyll-and-Hyde status, Manly have also beaten Canterbury twice away from home and Penrith once in that time after entering as outsiders. Speaking generally after being asked about the Sea Eagles' inconsistencies, Seibold was adamant his ninth-placed team was not alone in a salary cap-based competition. "They (the NRL) want an even competition, so that means there's going to be wins and losses along the way," he said. "I've never seen a competition where the top four or five sides all had losses by 40 points, and that's what we've got this year. "Everyone talks about inconsistency, but the NRL is designed to have an even competition, which means that if you win more than 50 per cent of your games you're going all right. "And if you're losing more than 50 per cent of your games there's always going to be a challenge for you. "I think we're right in that sweet spot. We've got a great opportunity with somewhere near our best squad this week."
