'A big question mark': Key Maroons loss flies under the radar as acid test looms for new combination

Four players have been named to make their State of Origin debuts next week as both Queensland and New South Wales threw up some intriguing team selections.

Max King will pull on his first Blues jumper while, north of the Tweed, all of Rob Toia, Trent Loiero, and Beau Fermor will run out for the Maroons at a packed Suncorp Stadium.

While Laurie Daley and Billy slater answered many questions by unveiling their respective line-ups, some curly ones remain.

READ MORE: Daley's tense one-word Terrell May question response

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WILL THE NEW BLUES HALVES FIRE OR FAIL?

Daley has rolled the dice and picked two dominant halfbacks in his Blues side.

Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses are both right-footed kickers who also play predominantly on the right side of the field at club level.

It was for that reason that many pundits thought Jarome Luai would retain his spot at five-eighth.

Daley doesn't see why the two halfbacks can't play side by side, and denied the suggestion Moses will be anchored to the left side of the field.

"I think he and Nathan can combine really well," Daley said.

"I think some of Nathan's best football is played on the left. The last 20 minutes of his grand final was on the left edge, Magic Round when they beat the Broncos he drifted across to the left a bit, so I don't think he needs to be pigeon holed.

"Mitch can play both sides, so it will be a wait and see."

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IS ROOKIE UP TO LATRELL CHALLENGE?

The biggest bolter to make either Origin team is 10-game Roosters rookie Robert Toia, who will line up at centre for Queensland.

It's likely Slater called on the 20-year-old due to his defensive ability, which the NRL world has noticed throughout his limited career for the Chooks.

That is mighty important due to the fact Latrell Mitchell is back in the NSW backline.

Mitchell is a beast in the Origin arena and is arguably the hardest player on either team to handle from a defensive point of view.

He has previously been marked by the likes of Will Chambers, Dane Gagai, and Val Holmes.

Now it will likely be Toia's job to shut down the Blues behemoth.

"Playing in the centres, it is man on man, but it's a system and he is a good system player," Slater said of Toia on Monday.

Slater did, however, deny Toia was purely in the team on defensive ability, pointing out he can be a handful with the ball himself.

WHERE DOES SNUBBED PROP SIT IN PECKING ORDER?

Many would argue Terrell May has been the form prop of the NRL over the first 11 rounds of this season. He's the highest ranking forward on the Dally M leaderboard and his stats are super impressive.

For reasons that may never be fully explained, he isn't anywhere to be seen in Daley's Blues squad.

Selectors will try to tell us it's something to do with his defensive efforts or work rate off the ball. It's more likely an attitude or personality issue.

Either way, Daley now has Max King and Stefano Utoikamanu ahead of May in his prop pecking order.

If Jake Trbojevic wasn't knocked out in round 11, it would be interesting to see whether he, too, is ahead of May.

We wonder how many Blues props would have to fall over before May got his chance?

He probably didn't help himself by mouthing off on a live gaming stream last week.

WILL GRANT BE ASKED TO PLAY 80 MINUTES?

Queensland had found the perfect dummy-half combination in recent years with Ben Hunt and Harry Grant sharing the role.

While Grant regularly plays 80 minutes at club level, Origin is a different beast and he has been most effective coming off the bench to wreak havoc against tired Blues defences late in games.

With Hunt out injured it will be intriguing to see how long Slater leaves his top hooker out on the field.

Grant's fitness is also a big question mark given he only returned from a five-week injury layoff to play for the Storm in round 11.

Tom Dearden is the bench utility and typically a running half. He will do a job at rake if asked, but the loss of Hunt could have widespread ramifications for the team.

He is undoubtedly a bigger loss for the Maroons than the likes of Reece Walsh or Murray Taulagi, who - while super talented - are more easily replaced.

CAN TURBO FIGHT HIS WAY BACK IN?

Tom Trbojevic is arguably the best player in the NRL at his best, but his chances of adding to his 10 Origin games is looking thinner by the week.

The injury-prone fullback is struggling to find form at Manly and now appears down the list of outside back options for NSW.

"Everyone agrees Tom, if he's fit, is one of the best players in the game, so that was a tough decision," Daley said on Monday.

"Tom needs to go back and play some good football and be confident. I have no doubt Tom will be back in this arena at some point, but it's always a tough decision."

Trbojevic can play all of fullback, centre, or wing at Origin level but has several players ahead of him in each position now.

And with the emergence of Dylan Edwards it appears unlikely Trbojevic will be wearing the No.1 jumper unless the latter falls over.