Matters of State: Big names storm into frame for Origin II

Outside Backs

The news Latrell Mitchell will be unavailable for Game Two due to his continued struggles with a back injury has simplified the picture slightly for Daley but he must still weigh up changes following a slow start at Accor Stadium. 

The injection of Casey McLean off the bench added a new dynamic to the Blues attack and he continues to be in irresistible form for Penrith as he chases a starting spot.

Centre Stephen Crichton and winger Brian To'o made errors in the first half and Crichton has struggled with a shoulder injury throughout the first half of the NRL season. 

Tolu Koula was solid on debut before being knocked out of the contest by Kalyn Ponga midway through the second half. The winger is likely to miss Manly's clash with South Sydney on Thursday night and will enter Game Two of the Origin series having not played since the series opener. 

Daley has previously stressed Koula will retain his place in the side, but he could shift him to the centres and bring Casey McLean on to the wing.

Jacob Kiraz has also rocketed into frame after recovering from a knee injury. The Bulldog's ability to play fullback, wing and centre could see him come on to the six-man bench.

Halves

Ethan Strange or Mitchell Moses? It's the conundrum Daley must weigh up as he works out whether to stick with the man who got the job done in Game One or recall the player initially named at five-eighth.

Moses is expected to return from a hamstring injury for the Eels' clash with Canterbury and Daley has suggested he is leaning towards slotting the veteran straight back into the No.6 jumper.

That would see Ethan Strange return to six-man interchange and come off the bench as an impact player. 

Front Row

Payne Haas made up for lost time on Sunday afternoon when he ran for a mammoth 281 metres, with eight tackle breaks in a stunning 80-minute performance for the Broncos.

The outing put to bed any concerns about Haas' fitness after he missed five weeks with a knee injury and he will likely come straight into the Blues starting side. 

The simple fix would be for either Mitch Barnett or Addin Fonua-Blake to revert to the bench and Jacob Saifiti, who was unused in Game One, to drop out of the squad. 

Daley, however, has a left-field option available if he chooses to get creative. 

Back-row

Versatile forward Cameron Murray was sensational off the bench in his Origin return at Accor Stadium, helping swing the match back in the Blues' favour when he entered the field midway through the first half. 

Daley is desperate to end a concerning trend of slow starts and could turn to Murray to provide added punch in the opening 20 minutes. 

The Rabbitoh could start at lock, with captain Isaah Yeo shifting to prop. That would leave both Barnett and Fonua-Blake in a battle with Saifiti for two spots on the interchange. 

Dylan Lucas was also in the Blues squad as 20th man for Game One and starred for the Knights in last Saturday's tight victory over the Eels.

The other wild card in the back row is the successful return of Liam Martin, who impressed in the Panthers' tight win over the Warriors last weekend. 

An Origin mainstay for the past five years, Martin's inclusion would likely see Hudson Young shift to the interchange. Which leads to another conundrum for Daley. 

Interchange

Like the front row, Daley can take the simple option or make a more creative change when mapping out his six-man bench. 

Blayke Brailey will miss Game Two with a broken arm, opening the door for a specialist hooker such as Api Koroisau and Wayde Egan or a utility like Connor Watson to come on to the interchange.

Koroisau was firmly in the frame for the series opener before he was handed a three-game suspension earlier this year and shapes as the most likely replacement for Brailey after making a successful comeback last week.

Haas' return will have a flow-on effect to the bench, as will the potential inclusion of Martin and the possibility of Murray starting at lock. 

Victor Radley was superb in Game One and will likely retain his place in the side, but the other two forward positions are up in the air. 

The simple solution would see Fonua-Blake or Barnett shift to the bench to play alongside Murray and Radley, with Saifiti dropping out. 

The more complicated option would have Murray starting at lock and Martin coming into the back-row. That would leave Fonua-Blake, Barnett, Radley, Young and Saifiti battling it out for three spots on the interchange.

Alternatively, Martin could come off the bench, with Young retaining his starting position. 

The overall bench makeup will likely remain the same, with Koroisau, Strange and McLean looming as the leading contenders for the three other positions. 

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.