Westpac NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley today (Monday 18 May) has named six new faces in his 20-man squad for Game One of the Ampol State of Origin series at Accor Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday 27 May.
They include Tolutau Koula (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles) on the wing and Addin Fonua-Blake (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks) at prop, while Victor Radley (Sydney Roosters), Blayke Brailey (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks), Ethan Strange (Canberra Raiders) and Casey McLean (Penrith Panthers) are on the extended bench.
Dylan Lucas (Newcastle Knights) is also yet to play for NSW and has been named in the No.20 jumper.
The team will be captained again by Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers), who has been named to start at lock, former captain James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters) has been recalled at fullback, while Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers) and Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels) will reprise their winning halves pairing from Game One of the 2025 series.
The squad will head into camp at Sydney Olympic Park today (Monday 18 May) for an open media day before attending the annual True Blues dinner later that night where the latest inductees to the NSWRL Hall of Fame will be announced. The squad will relocate to the Central Coast on Tuesday (19 May) to commence their preparation for the opening game of the series.
The Westpac NSW Blues will be aiming to reclaim the Ampol State of Origin Shield after losing 2-1 to Queensland last year.
WESTPAC NSW BLUES SQUAD
Game One, Ampol State of Origin series
Wednesday 27 May, Accor Stadium, Sydney
1. James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters)
2. Brian To'o (Penrith Panthers)
3. Stephen Crichton (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
4. Kotoni Staggs (Brisbane Broncos)
5. Tolutau Koula* (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
6. Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels)
7. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
8. Addin Fonua-Blake* (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
9. Reece Robson (Sydney Roosters)
10. Mitchell Barnett (Warriors)
11. Hudson Young (Canberra Raiders)
12 Haumole Olakau'atu (Manly Warringah Sea Eagles)
13. Isaah Yeo (c) (Penrith Panthers)
14. Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
15. Victor Radley* (Sydney Roosters)
16. Jacob Saifiti (Newcastle Knights)
17. Blayke Brailey* (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
18. Ethan Strange* (Canberra Raiders)
19. Casey McLean* (Penrith Panthers)
20. Dylan Lucas* (Newcastle Knights)
Coach: Laurie Daley
* Yet to play for NSW
