Bradman Best and debutant Mitch Barnett have been added to the Blues’ 17 for the State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium next Wednesday night.
Michael Maguire was forced to make a call on the left centre position after incumbent Latrell Mitchell suffered a foot injury in South Sydney’s win on Thursday night.
Tom Trbojevic, Matt Burton, and Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i were among the names floated for the vacancy, but Best’s form coupled his double on Origin debut a year ago made him a clear frontrunner.
Over his past four full games for the Knights, the 22-year-old has scored four tries, assisted on four others, and averaged 249 run metres with 20 total tackle breaks.
Mitch Barnett – who was a member of the Blues’ extended squad for Games I and II – earns a maiden call-up at the expense of Sea Eagles star Haumole Olakau’atu.
Barnett has also been in supreme form over the past month regularly pumping out big minute performances splitting time between the front and back row.
The 30-year-old ran for 226 metres and made 56 tackles in the Warriors’ golden point loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday.
NSW GAME III SQUAD
1. Dylan Edwards (Penrith Panthers)
2. Brian To’o (Penrith Panthers)
3. Bradman Best (Newcastle Knights)
4. Stephen Crichton (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
5. Zac Lomax (St George Illawarra Dragons)
6. Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers)
7. Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels)
8. Jake Trbojevic (c) (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
9. Reece Robson (North Queensland Cowboys)
10. Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)
11. Liam Martin (Penrith Panthers)
12. Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)
13. Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
14. Connor Watson (Sydney Roosters)
15. Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)
16. Mitchell Barnett (Warriors)
17. Spencer Leniu (Sydney Roosters)
