- Latrell Mitchell is back in the NSW squad for State of Origin
- Michael Maguire has turned to the South superstar
- But Sharks hero Nicho Hynes has been eliminated from the game.
Nicho Hynes has been sacked at halfback for NSW State of Origin, with Mitch Moses, Latrell Mitchell and Dylan Edwards among the five new faces for the second game.
Blues coach Michael Maguire made several big decisions on Sunday night for the must-win game at the MCG on June 25, with Hynes being the most notable victim of the Blues’ Origin I defeat.
Edwards regained his place at full-back after returning from an ankle injury from Penrith, with James Tedesco again ruled out after his last-minute return in Sydney.
Connor Watson debuted for New South Wales, giving Maguire some much-needed utility value on the bench at the expense of Canberra’s Hudson Young.
Latrell Mitchell is back in the NSW squad for the second State of Origin game
Michael Maguire has turned to the South Sydney superstar after the first game defeat.
But Nicho Hynes was dropped after failing to impress at the Accor Stadium.
Cameron McInnes was also dropped after his Blues debut, with the fit Cameron Murray straight back into the team.
And Mitchell is in line to play his first game for NSW since 2021, after being named to replace the suspended Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii at centre.
Injuries have derailed Mitchell’s last two seasons, and there were questions about his commitment to the Blues earlier this year.
But he sat next to Maguire at a function in South Sydney on Saturday afternoon and made it clear he wants to help NSW climb out of a 1-0 series deficit.
Still, it is in the halves where Maguire has made the biggest call.
Hynes was criticized following the Blues’ 38-10 series-opening defeat, with NSW accused of lacking polish at the end of sets in attack.
At the same time, Moses is now three games removed from a long-term foot injury and is showing some signs of being back to his best for Parramatta.
On Sunday, Andrew Johns called up Cody Walker to join Moses in the halves, in a complete overhaul of the Blues’ attacking structure since Game I.
But instead, Maguire has kept faith with Jarome Luai at No.6, with the Penrith star partnering Moses.
Maguire’s selections mean Tedesco is the other notable omission, left out of the team’s initial announcement for the second time in two games.
The Australian Test captain starred in the Sydney Roosters’ victory over the Eels on Saturday night, but later admitted he hoped Edwards would regain the NSW No.1 jersey.
Matt Burton has also been ruled out as the 18th man, with Mitchell Barnett, McInnes and Luke Keary on the extended bench.