NSW Blues announce team for Origin 2

Brad Fittler has confirmed some changes to his team.

EDITOR | June 19, 2022 - 7:34pm

The New South Wales Blues have made a number of changes to their State of Origin team for Game 2 of the series.

In announcing a 22-man squad for the second game of the series, coach Brad Fittler confirmed seven new faces, including five who are likely to be included in the final 17.

In what will be a must-win game for the Blues after their series-opening loss to the Maroons, Fittler only had one forced change to the team, with Canberra Raiders' five-eighth Jack Wighton - who was one of the Blues' best playing in the centres during the opener - ruled out due to a positive coronavirus test on Friday.

It would have meant he missed virtually the entire camp, only being let out of isolation 48 hours before kick-off in Perth.

Instead, both he and Kotoni Staggs have been dropped from the side, with Stephen Crichton, Matt Burton and Siosifa Talakai all included in the squad.

It's tipped that Burton and Game 1 bench player Stephen Crichton will be the starting centres, with Talakai a chance of playing from the bench, although positional order for the Blues will be confirmed in the coming days.

Burton and Talakai - both new faces in the team - are set too be joined by Apisai Koroisau, Angus Crichton and Jake Trbojevic on a completely new-look bench. Crichton and Trbojevic are two new faces in the squad.

Victor Radley - who hasn't played for a month - Parramatta captain Clint Gutherson and North Queensland's Cowboys forward Jordan McLean - have joined the squad as well to round out the seven new faces.

Alongside Wighton and Staggs being dropped, Tariq Sims, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Ryan Matterson, Tyson Frizell and Jacob Saifiti and are the other players not listed in the Blues' squad for Game 2 in Perth.

In other news, Daniel Tupou has been retained for Game 2 despite the recent excellent form of Josh Addo-Carr, who responded to his Game 1 axing with a run of good form.