Blues star Andrew Fifita prepared to miss child's birth for State of Origin

Reborn NSW prop Andrew Fifita says he is prepared to miss the birth of his second child to play in next week's State of Origin opener.

Fifita's wife, Nikkita, is due to deliver a baby girl on May 27 placing the Blues enforcer in a potentially awkward choice between fatherhood and football.

But despite being offered the chance to stand down by NSW coach Laurie Daley should his wife go into labour before kick-off, the Cronulla frontrower said: "I'm going to play".

The 25-year-old said he had Nikkita's blessing to play.

"If it happens, it happens," he told Fairfax Media.

"I've got a job to do first.

"Even my wife said 'look, you have a job to do and a state to provide for'.

"At the end of the day, I'm probably most likely to be Facetiming her and holding her hand through a screen."

Recalled to the Blues side after being overlooked last year, Fifita broke the news to Daley when he entered camp yesterday, with the NSW mentor immediately offering him the chance to stand down.

Daley told Fifita he would bring in a back up player if required.

"He said just in case he wanted to call someone in," Fifita said.

"(But) I told him I was all hands on deck.

"I told him even if the baby comes there is plenty of support and love around my wife. That's the main thing."

Fifita told News Corp his wife had no qualms about him potentially missing the birth.

"My family know how hard I’ve worked to get back for the Blues.

"I'll play…hopefully I can be by Nikki’s side after we play.

"You wouldn’t believe it though, would you?"

Fifita's predicament comes after Queensland ace Johnathan Thurston faced the same choice before the 2013 series opener, when his wife Samantha was due to give birth three days after the game.

Thurston planned to miss the match and fly home from Sydney to Townsville had she have gone into labour, but was able to play with his daughter, Frankie, arriving two days later.