There is no secret that the NRL's list of injured talent has been a long one throughout the first three months of the 2024 campaign.
Hamstring strains have been the main cause of concern so far this season, with players going down on an almost regular basis.
Ahead of the State of Origin series, the number of injuries left both states with plenty of questions. A number of incumbents were missing, while players who would have otherwise been in the conversation, or could have provided depth options to the selection question having played Origin previously, were also unavailable.
So much so that you can put together a full team list of players who aren't available for Origin 1 through injury.
From the likes of Kalyn Ponga and Tom Trbojevic as players who would have pushed for a recall, to regular Origin halves in Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster, and players who would have been in the dicussion if not for injury like Connor Watson and Tevita Tatola, the team features plenty of talent, all of whom could well have played this year.
The team does feature a few players slightly out of position, although Trbojevic has played on the wing previously at Origin level, and Campbell Graham at NRL level, as well as two utilities on the bench, but the team is still a strong one with plenty of these players missing for the entire Origin series and no chance of returning for either Game 2 or 3.
Note: The following team is made up of players who meet one of the following criteria:
- Players who have previously played State of Origin
- Players who were in the conversation to play State of Origin
The injured 17
1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Tom Trbojevic
3. Bradman Best
4. Kotoni Staggs
5. Campbell Graham
6. Cameron Munster
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Thomas Flegler
9. Connor Watson
10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
11. Tom Gilbert
12. Kurt Capewell
13. Cameron Murray
14. Mitchell Moses
15. AJ Brimson
16. Corey Horsburgh
17. Tevita Tatola
On top of the 17 listed above, you could also argue Adam Reynolds, Daniel Saifiti (who returned in Round 13 from a knee problem), Cody Walker and Ryan Papenhuyzen could well have also been in the conversation for selection.
Game 1, with the non-injured teams, will be played on Wednesday, June 5 in Sydney.
