The three positions causing most angst as Daley ponders Origin II team
Three of the most difficult selection decisions facing NSW coach Laurie Daley heading into Origin II in Perth on Wednesday week centre on the No.18, No.19 and No.20 jerseys.
Daley is well aware that once the extended squad arrives in the Western Australian capital next weekend, he will no longer have the opportunity to bring in a late replacement should one of his players suffer an injury.
When there were concerns over Stephen Crichton after the centre suffered a corked thigh just two days out from game one, the Blues had the luxury of placing Canterbury teammate Matt Burton on stand-by.
If Crichton had been ruled out of the game, the Blues would have applied to the NRL for a special exemption to pick Burton from outside the original 20-man squad, and had him in Brisbane in a matter of hours.
However, requiring a player to fly five hours to the other side of the country less than two days before an Origin game is not ideal, which is why Daley knows he must nail it with the selection of his three reserves.
The fear of having Nathan Cleary or Mitchell Moses go down with an injury means Daley could yet opt against picking a fourth front-rower in favour of a playmaker like Jarome Luai on an extended bench.
NSW and Queensland must submit their final 19 players by Tuesday night before the game.
The Blues carried utility Campbell Graham as their 18th man in Brisbane, while Melbourne's Stefano Utoikamanu and Manly's Haumole Olakau'atu were No.19 and No.20 respectively.
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