Eddy Cayless, the son of New Zealand's 2008 World Cup winning captain Nathan Cayless, is set to do something his famous father never did when he runs out in a NSW jersey in next week's Under 19s State of Origin.
Cayless is one of five members of the UNE SG Ball winning Sydney Roosters team named in the 20-man Blues squad to play Queensland at North Sydney Oval on June 18.
Despite being born in NSW, Nathan Cayless was unable to play State of Origin after pledging his allegiance to the Kiwis but Eddy will not face the same issue if he chooses to play for New Zealand as eligibility rules changed this year.
The teenage prop will join Roosters team-mates Carter Mareko, Rex Bassingthwaighte, Darcy Smith and James Finegan in the NSW squad, which is coached by former Bulldogs captain Josh Jackson.
Players were also chosen from The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup and Jersey Flegg Cup (Under 21s) and UNE SG Ball (Under 19s), including Newcastle Knights pair Toby Winter and Diesel Hagan.
Finegan, Smith, Ryda Talagi (Parramatta Eels), Thomas Dellow (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks) and Christian Taupau-Moors (Wests Tigers) represented City Under 18s Boys, and Hagan and Toby Batten (Redcliffe Dolphins) represented Country Under 18s Boys in the 2025 representative fixture.
Mareko, Ashton Large (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles) and Talmage Brown (Penrith Panthers) all represented City Under 18s Boys this year.
The GIO Men’s NSW Under 19s squad will be based at Sydney Olympic Park and will be looking to reclaim the Shield after a narrow 23-22 loss on the Sunshine Coast last year.
GIO Men’s NSW Under 19s (alphabetical)
- Rex Bassingthwaighte (Sydney Roosters)
- Toby Batten (Redcliffe Dolphins)
- Talmage Brown (Penrith Panthers)
- Eddy Cayless (Sydney Roosters)
- Thomas Dellow (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
- James Finegan (Sydney Roosters)
- Diesel Hagan (Newcastle Knights)
- Marcellus Iakopo (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
- Dayne Jennings (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
- Ashton Large (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
- Onitoni Large (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
- Carter Mareko (Sydney Roosters)
- Archie Mesritz (North Queensland Cowboys)
- Christopher Petrus (Parramatta Eels)
- Jope Rauqe (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
- Darcy Smith (Sydney Roosters)
- Ryda Talagi (Parramatta Eels)
- Roman Tuaimau (Canberra Raiders)
- Christian Taupau-Moors (Wests Tigers)
- Toby Winter (Newcastle Knights)
