Let's Talk Origin - Round 16

With injuries throwing up some curve balls for Mal Meninga and Laurie Daley this weekend, we have a look at who we think comes into the selection frame for game three.

For Queensland, interchange forward Josh McGuire has been ruled out for the season with an Achilles injury and Darius Boyd is in some doubt after picking up a groin strain on Friday night. The doubt around Boyd would be particularly concerning for Meninga with Billy Slater already being ruled out of their backline for game three.

New South Wales on the other hand, have received mixed news on the injury front. Back-row enforcer Beau Scott has been given the green light after initial fears he would be racing the clock to be fit after suffering a shoulder injury on Friday night. He will still need to prove his fitness at training throughout the Blues preparations though and Daley will likely choose a shadow player in case he doesn't pull through.

The news isn't so good for Robbie Farah however. Already carrying a shoulder injury he suffered in game one, the Blues rake struggled through the majority of his side's loss to the Panthers with a suspected broken hand. Farah immediately left for scans at the conclusion of the match.

WHO REPLACES JOSH McGUIRE?
There had been whispers north of the border about injecting some young blood onto the interchange for game three to match the fire and brimstone the Blues have thrown at them in the opening two games. They wouldn't have been expecting to do it at the expense of the 25 year old McGuire though.

JOSH PAPALII - The 23 year old backrower was already being talked about but comes right into contention now. Whilst being seen as a man who could potentially come on and match it with the young Blues firebrands, Papalii also has the experience of three previous Origins under his belt. Capable of playing in the middle or on the edges, Papalii would bring further versatility to the team. The fearless Raider has also shown his willingness in the past to mix it with the toughest the game has to offer, having had more than one run-in with Blues skipper Paul Gallen.

DYLAN NAPA - Like Papalii, the young Roosters firebrand was being seriously considered prior to McGuire getting injured. Has really stepped up in recent weeks in the absence of regular starters Jared Warea-Hargreaves and Sam Moa, who've both spent time on the sidelines through injury and suspension. Pushed his claim even further in his team's win over the Titans today with a dominant game up front, running close to 150 metres. Has one of the best tackling techniques seen by a young forward in some time and could be seen as the man to stop Blues man mountain David Klemmer in his tracks.

DAVID SHILLINGTON - If Coach Meninga is looking for experience over an injection of youth for an Origin decider, then the Titans bound Shillington may be his man. Since making his injury return in round 10, the 32 year old has found some of the form that saw him don the Maroons jersey on eight previous occasions. Ripping in for 130 running metres per match, Shillington has proven a hard man to bring to ground and has created some handy second phase play for his team with his ability to stand and offload. The smaller bodies in the Maroons engine room have struggled to match the Blues yardage game in the opening encounters and if Shillington could get himself up for one last big game at this level, his bigger frame could be exactly what Meninga is looking for.

THE VERDICT - Wouldn't be surprised if Coach Meninga goes with both Papalii and Napa here. Whilst Jacob Lillyman has been a solid contributor off the bench in the opening two games, the Maroons really need to inject as much youthful enthusiasm off the bench as possible to match the Blues.

HOW WOULD QLD REPLACE DARIUS BOYD ASWELL AS SLATER?
Coach Meninga would really be sweating on Darius Boyd being fit in time for game three. If Boyd was unable to recover from his groin strain, it could mean the possibility of two rookies being thrown into the furnace for an Origin decider. With Greg Inglis already expected to shift to fullback for the injured Billy Slater, it would leave big boots to fill on the Maroons record breaking left side.

Dane Gagai has all but sealed an Origin debut with another classy performance on Friday night, whilst young guns Moses Mbye and Valentine Holmes appear the most likely to come into contention if Boyd was to be ruled out. If Meninga was unwilling to blood two rookies in such a big game, he may consider throwing their bench utility Michael Morgan into the number one jersey and leaving Inglis in the centres.

THE VERDICT - Dane Gagai shored up a place in the team with another strong attacking display for the Knights and will likely be named on the wing, with Chambers in the centres and Inglis at fullback. Expect Darius Boyd to be named and given every chance to play, while Michael Morgan will probably cover as 18th man for Boyd and Cooper Cronk.

WHO COMES IN AS COVER FOR BEAU SCOTT?
Whilst the scan results have cleared Scott to return, there's still plenty of work on the training paddock to be done and Daley will need to bring in someone who he trusts will get the job done in the event Scott's shoulder doesn't come up to scratch.

TYSON FRIZELL - The hard running Dragons back-rower is probably as close to a ready-made replacement for Scott as Daley's going to get. Playing on the right edge for the Saints, Frizell has proven a major threat to opposition defences throughout the year with his aggressive running game and the ability to offload. Playing 80 minutes on a weekly basis, he's proven a large part of an extremely impressive defensive outfit and no doubt has the raw aggression to put pressure on Queensland's playmakers. The only question mark for Daley would be whether to hand Frizell his Origin debut in a decider. He has been part of both camps in the opening two games to give him a taste of what is required to be an Origin player.

LUKE LEWIS - When picking a new face in your squad for an Origin decider, the coach more than anything needs to know what he's going to get from that player. No one ticks that box more than Lewis who has done the job for his state so many times in the past. Has the ability to start on the right edge as he does for the Sharks, or provide impact and versatility from the bench if Daley chose to entrust Jackson with the job of running on. Lewis is still in fine touch and is showing a real knack for finding the try line this year, with eight tries in twelve games. The outside-inside play he's put on so many times this year with Jack Bird could potentially bring an extra dimension to the Blues attack, with noted ball-runner Josh Dugan a likely target for such a play.

GLENN STEWART - After one game back from an injury lay off, the mention of veteran Rabbitohs back-rower Stewart may come as a surprise. Truth be told though, he didn't miss a beat in his return from injury and is still looking fitter than he has in years. Has proven in the past his ability to shutdown Johnathan Thurston at Origin level and again showed his defensive class on Friday night by doing a solid job on former team mate Kieran Foran. Capable of playing big minutes and racking up a monster tackle count, Stewart would also prove an extra headache for Queensland's edge defenders with his ball playing, particularly with a likely new combination on the Maroons left side.

JOSH REYNOLDS - Replacing a back-rower with a five-eight in the squad would seem a major shift in the balance of this side, but if Daley chose Jackson to start, then Reynolds may come into calculations. His constant niggle alone drove Thurston mad throughout last year's series and with no Scott, someone would have to try and put the future immortal off his game. Reynolds has had a sharp return to form in recent weeks and has shown his worth in being able to break a game open coming off the bench. Would provide extra utility value, but Daley would need to be comfortable with Reynolds having a stint in the back-row if no other positions needed covering throughout the game.

THE VERDICT - Games don't come any bigger than an Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium. For this reason, Daley must seriously be considering turning back to the tried and tested in Luke Lewis as his 18th man. After spending time in camp and appearing to be the next in line, Tyson Frizell could find himself a touch unlucky, but his chance will come soon enough. For now though, an Origin series will be on the line in the biggest arena the game has to offer and if Scott wasn't available, Lewis would be Daley's man.

WHO WOULD REPLACE ROBBIE FARAH?
With Nathan Peats out of the frame due to injury, it probably comes down to a race in three.

MICHAEL ENNIS - The only other hooker in New South Wales to have Origin experience under his belt, Ennis played probably his best game of the season in his side's upset win of the Cowboys on Saturday night. Solid as always in the defensive and niggle departments, it was his sharp and timely improvement in attack that really shined. Ennis proved a constant menace around the ruck for the Cowboys tiring forwards and laid on three try assists close to the line.

RYAN HICHCLIFFE - Touted as a bloke suited for Origin football for a long time, it appeared the tough as teak Hinchcliffe would never quite get there. A rugged type, the Storm interchange forward would no doubt get the job done for the Blues with a minimum of fuss. He will get the last chance to impress out of any of the hopefuls in his side's clash with the Bulldogs on Monday night.

JOSH JACKSON/MITCH REIN - A left-field option would be for Jackson to give the Blues a solid start in the number nine jersey before unleashing Mitch Rein's skillset onto a tiring Maroons defence late in the first half. Rein doesn't usually play 80 minutes for the Dragons which probably rules him out as the sole dummy half. His speed and sharp skills around the ruck however, could bring a new dimension to the Blues attack as the match wears on.

THE VERDICT - While the Jackson/Rein idea could work in theory, an Origin decider is probably the wrong place to test it and it would be unlikely for Daley to throw a rookie into such a big game. The experience of Ennis, along with his strong showing on the weekend should see him don the sky blue jersey one last time, if Farah is ruled out.

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
QLD - 1. Greg Inglis 2. Dane Gagai 3. Justin Hodges 4. Will Chambers 5. Darius Boyd 6. Johnathan Thurston 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Matthew Scott 9. Cameron Smith 10. Nate Myles 11. Aiden Guerra 12. Sam Thaiday 13. Corey Parker 14. Daly Cherry-Evans 15. Josh Papalii 16. Matt Gillett 17. Dylan Napa
18th man - Michael Morgan
NSW - 1. Josh Dugan 2. Will Hopoate 3. Josh Morris 4. Michael Jennings 5. Brett Morris 6. Mitchell Pearce 7. Trent Hodkinson 8. Aaron Woods 9. Robbie Farah/Michael Ennis 10. James Tamou 11. Beau Scott 12. Ryan Hoffman 13. Paul Gallen 14. Josh Jackson 15. Trent Merrin 16. Boyd Cordner 17. David Klemmer
18th man - Luke Lewis