Enforcer dumped in Blues shock as Daley confirms team
New South Wales coach Laurie Daley has sensationally dumped Manly backrower Haumole Olakau’atu from his Blues team and brought rookie Casey McLean into the backline.
McLean will replace the injured Stephen Crichton at centre for the second State of Origin game, which will be played in Melbourne next Wednesday.
Haumole Olakau'atu has been dropped to 20th man. NRL Imagery
Sea Eagles speedster Tolu Koula has been named on a wing again, although he and McLean may swap roles on the night.
But the shock decision by Daley on Tuesday morning was axing Olakau’atu from the side and making him the team’s 20th man.
Instead, Knights second rower Dylan Lucas will make his Origin debut and start on the field.
Olakau’atu played 67 minutes of game one and took 10 runs for 97 metres, making three tackle breaks but also missing two tackles as the Blues won a 22-20 thriller in Sydney.
“Always difficult to have those chats, but you’ve just got to make a decision based on the best interests of the team and what the team needs,” Daley told media on Tuesday.
“It was difficult obviously, we tried to see whether we could put him on the bench. But the balance of the side and the balance of the bench, we felt like we needed a big man (in Addin Fonua-Blake).
“It’s one of those hard calls you have to make. We wanted to give Dyl (Lucas) a run in this game and I’m sure he will do well.”
Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase has also been brought into the team but is named in jersey No.19 and may not be needed during the game.
That was the role played by McLean in game one, and he came on the field when Koula was floored by an illegal Kalyn Ponga high shot in the 57th minute.
McLean was outstanding in his limited time on the field and has been rewarded with a starting spot.
“What Casey did in game one was terrific, coming off the bench,” Daley said of the 20-year-old Panthers star.
Casey McLean (second from left) was impressive for the Blues on debut. Getty Images
“To handle it as well as he did was pretty special. So no hesitation putting a guy like Casey in.”
Mitchell Moses has been named to start at five-eighth but will have to get through a full training session on Thursday.
Raiders youngster Ethan Strange is back on the bench but could come into the starting side again if Moses fails to get up.
Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa is also in camp and will be called into the squad if Moses is ruled out.
Either way, Daley plans to give Strange some game time after he narrowly missed out on man of the match honours in game one, which was his debut.
“There is definitely a plan. You will see Ethan Strange play - it might not be six, it might be somewhere else,” Daley said.
Moses has been recovering from a hamstring injury since the first Blues camp last month, working with Parramatta trainers to get him back to almost full fitness.
Nine’s cameras spotted Moses undergoing his final fitness preparations before checking into the team hotel earlier on Monday. The Eels shared with NSW staffers that the 31-year-old was progressing well in his recovery.
The training session went for roughly an hour on Monday, and while Daley is confident Moses will start next week, he has called in Katoa as a back up.
Daley made clear he did not want to take any player in who was “underdone” and expects all players to be training by Wednesday.
NSW won the series opener 22-20, meaning they have a 1-0 lead over the Maroons.
The second game of the series will be in Melbourne on Wednesday, June 17.
NSW Blues game two team
1. James Tedesco 2. Brian To’o 3. Casey McLean 4. Kotoni Staggs 5. Tolu Koula 6. Mitchell Moses 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Payne Haas 9. Reece Robson 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Hudson Young 12. Dylan Lucas 13. Isaah Yeo (c) 14. Cameron Murray 15. Victor Radley 16. Addin Fonua-Blake 17. Api Koroisau 18. Ethan Strange 19. Mark Nawaqanitawase. 20th man: Haumole Olakau’atu
