State of Origin: Changes aplenty for Blues as Freddy scrambles to avoid sweep

Mon 3 Jul 2023, 4:04am AEST - Sportingbase

A battered, bruised, and already defeated New South Wales side will head into game three with a very different look after Brad Fittler took a carving knife to the lineup that has already lost two matches in 2023’s State of Origin series—and this time, the playing group has a very Rabbitohs-branded flavour.

Chief among the changes is Cody Walker stepping in at five-eighth.

The 33-year-old Rabbitohs playmaker, who last pulled on the Blues jersey in 2020 and played all three games as New South Wales lost the series to “the worst ever Maroons side,” is at the heart of Fittler’s decision to go with a Bunnies-based squad. Alongside Walker, back-rower Keaon Koloamatangi earned a recall and Cameron Murray has moved into the starting lock position.

Other sweeping changes see Jacob Saifiti, Clint Gutherson and Reagan Campbell-Gillard all return to the state squad, while Jake Trbojevic has recovered from his calf injury and is back in the side.

Payne Haas (ankle) and Tom Trbojevic (pectoral) were both unable to be called up.

On the chopping block were Jarome Luai (Panthers), Hudson Young (Raiders), Stefano Utoikamanu (Tigers), Junior Paulo (Eels), and Tyson Frizell (Knights). Luai, who played five-eighth in the opening two matches, is the biggest scalp. Many called for Fittler to drop him after game one, but the Blues coach stayed loyal—at least for that 32–6 loss.

Finally, Scott Drinkwater and Spencer Leniu are in as 18th and 19th players respectively. Leniu was denied a spot in game one after he suffered a ruptured testicle.

While the Blues have already lost the series off the back of two struggling performances, the state representative squad will be looking to avoid the ignominious misfortune of being the first NSW team to be clean-swept in the Origin arena since Queensland dominated 2010 with a three-game shutout.