Blues coach Michael Maguire likely won’t roll the dice with the injured Mitch Moses for Game I of the State of Origin series.
Moses, who hasn’t played since injuring his foot in Round 3, won’t feature for the Eels in Magic Round and is an outside chance of playing next week – the last game before Origin teams are announced.
Despite this, Maguire was considering selecting Moses anyway, such is the injury crisis facing the Blues,
Nathan Cleary will miss the entire series while Adam Reynolds and Nicho Hynes are also battling injury.
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“(Moses) was always aiming for the Souths game next weekend, Magic Round would have been a bonus, but he wasn’t ready this weekend,” Arthur told the SMH.
“We’ll try for next week, but even then, he’s not guaranteed to return. We’re trying, but he’s not ready.
“He’s out on the field and running, but he hasn’t done anything with the team.”
According to the SMH, Maguire is now looking for alternatives instead of Moses, in what is the biggest indication yet that the Eels halfback is still at least a couple of weeks from returning.
It would have been a tall task for Moses to not only play a gruelling and fast-paced Origin opener without a run under his belt for two months, but to get through the week of training at Blues camp.
With Moses seemingly out of contention, Sharks half Nicho Hynes appears to be the red-hot favourite to land the role for Game I.
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This should be welcome news to Roosters star, and former teammate of Hynes, Brandon Smith.
Smith expressed his confusion on a podcast this week as to why Moses was reportedly ahead of Hynes in the Blues’ pecking order.
“Nicho has been one of the best in the comp for the last three years, he has won a Dally M, he is playing unreal footy at the moment,” Smith said on The Bye Round Podcast.
“I don’t understand why they are off him.
“He has played like 10 minutes in an Origin … at centre. I think he will relish the big game.
“He is a winner. His side is on top of the table. It just pisses me off a little bit.”
“I think he is the best halfback there is on offer.”
Source Agencies
