There is ‘genuine possibility’ Murray plays hooker for Blues this Origin

Brad Fittler may have a two-hooker plan for New South Wales on Wednesday after all and it may involve Cameron Murrry slotting in at no.9 when the Blues run out in Adelaide for State of Origin game one.

The Blues coach scrapped his default plan from years past where he would bring two hookers to bear against Queensland, instead just picking Tigers rake Api Koroisau as his lone player for that position. What that means, apparently, is that Murray has been tapped on the shoulder to potentially fill the gap left by the chosen side.

“I think it is,” Murray said when asked if there was a “genuine possibility” he would slot into a two-pronged hooker role with Koroisau over the 80 minutes of the Origin I furnace.

That doesn’t mean he 100 percent will, but training will give Fittler and interested Blues fans alike a clearer picture in coming days.

“There are a few other options. We’ve got Nicho [Hynes] there in the 14 jumper who is probably a good fit there as well,” Murray continued, adding he’s never played a full game in the role at any level but has “played bits and pieces there and practice a little bit after training here and there with Cookie [Damien Cook].”

“I help him out with his passes, so I get a bit of practice there.”

The hope, Murray suggested, was that Koroisau will play the full game at hooker and not have to come off the field. But, as always is the case in Origin, plans are made to be broken. “I haven’t played too much there but I’m confident I can do the job if I do end up there. Api is an 80-minute hooker. He’s fit, he doesn’t really drop off too much in games so I’m guessing that will probably be first case and best case scenario, but anything can happen.”

The Sporting Base can confirm Nicho Hynes and Jarome Luai have also trained there.

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Fittler has yet to make any clear statement on how his starting 17 will look once Wednesday evening rolls around at Adelaide Oval but he did defend leaving Cook out of the picture just hours after arriving at camp on Monday.

“I’ve used, last year mainly, two hookers and I just don’t know how much of a benefit it was for us,” he admitted when questioned on his selection choices by the media earlier this week.

“Cooky plays 80 minutes week in, week out and does such a great job. His speed doesn’t slacken off at all, his passing is great.”

The Blues coach, who has coached NSW to three Origin victories since 2018, continued: “I just think our combination with Api and a few of the blokes in and around the middle of the field (will) just help him through and once again off the back of the Tigers winning some games and coming into camp with some confidence.

“It was a hard selection, but I feel like that relationship with a few of those boys helped out.” Download Our Free NRL App

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