Fonua-Blake eyes Haas combination as Blues mull changes

Fonua-Blake backed up on Friday night to help the Sharks defeat Manly in a see-sawing contest at Ocean Protect Stadium. The prop was back to his dominant best, running for 159 metres and making 20 tackles. 

The match ended on a sour note for Cronulla, with Blayke Brailey suffering a suspected fractured arm just days after he played a key role in the Blues' victory in his Origin debut.

NSW were slow out of the gates on Wednesday as a string of errors limited the chance for Fonua-Blake and Mitch Barnett to put their side on the front foot. 

Instead, the pair were forced to spend much of the opening 20 minutes defending as Queensland raced out to a 20-0 lead before they were replaced by Cam Murray and Victor Radley. 

The two substitutes made an instant impact and helped get the Blues back into the contest, before Fonua-Blake and Barnett made a big contribution in the side's second-half comeback when they returned to the field.

Fellow prop Jacob Saifiti was the only player on the six-man bench not to enter the fray and spent the whole 80 minutes on the sidelines. 

Fonua-Blake conceded it was a challenging initiation to the Origin arena but is determined to make an instant impact in Game Two if he gets another opportunity. 

"I've seen a lot of stories about not having an impact on the first 15 but I don't think many people would have had an impact in that first 15 minutes when we didn't have the ball," Fonua-Blake said. 

"We only got the ball maybe twice while I was on. It was a bit of a [battle] but I regrouped, went out there in the second half and I thought I did what I know I can do."

Daley will name his side following the conclusion of Round 14, giving Fonua-Blake just one more chance to prove he deserves to retain his place when the Sharks host St George Illawarra next Sunday.

Haas' return and the Blues slow start leave the coach with multiple options as he maps out his team for Game Two.

The Broncos enforcer will likely slot straight back into the starting side, with either Barnett or Fonua-Blake to drop back to the bench. 

The prospect of a bigger reshuffle is also on the cards. Isaah Yeo could shift to prop and Cam Murray come in to start at lock. That would see both Barnett and Fonua-Blake in a battle with Saifiti for two spots on the interchange. 

Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has been disappointed with some of the commentary around his prop's performance and expressed his desire to see Fonua-Blake combine with Haas for the Blues. 

"It frustrates me that front rowers have to make carries and make metres," Fitzgibbon said. "We need the ball to do that. They had no ball. 

"Him and Mitch Barnett were off before they could have more than one or two carries each. Then in their second stints, both of those front rowers got them back in the game. 

"Addin's defence is always underestimated. Guys like him are notorious for their metres and tries, and the things everyone notices, but from what we're valuing in Addin at the moment, he saved three tries three weeks in a row for us. 

"On the last play, kicks down field that he turned up on the try line so there's some stuff off the ball he's probably not getting credit for. Then to not have the ball and still turn up and get his D done, then when he get back on when they were trading set for set he got better."

A record crowd is set to pack into the MCG for Game Two of the State of Origin series. Tickets are selling fast, so click here to get yours before they are gone.