James Tedesco has re-entered the New South Wales Origin squad following Dylan Edwards' official withdrawal from Game 1 due to a quad strain, and Cameron Smith believes it will be impossible to drop him if he has a strong performance.
Coach Michael Maguire opted to bring Tedesco back into the side after initially dropping him for Edwards.
Recent discussions have raised doubts about Tedesco's ability to hold onto the number one jersey for the remainder of the series.
Edwards' quad injury is minor and should only keep him out of Game 1 if his recovery progresses smoothly, with a return expected for Game 2.
Former Queensland great Cameron Smith has suggested that if Tedesco regains his peak form and leads the Blues to victory in Game 1, he's likely to retain the No.1 jersey for the entire series.
โYou don't call a guy up with three days before the game and say he gets out there on Wednesday and plays the absolute house down and the Blues win, you' can't then just say, โThanks mate for coming but we're going back to Dylan Edwards,โ Cameron Smith said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
โEven though, Michael Maguire and the NSW selectors have shown that he is not their first choice fullback, they've shown that with their selection of Dylan Edwards.
โThat's fair enough because a lot of people agree with Dylan Edwards being picked at fullback but the fact of the matter is, if the Blues are to win this Wednesday and Tedesco is amongst their best players, how do you then drop him?โ
Although James Tedesco was dropped from the squad, his return now provides an opportunity for him to display his talent and demonstrate what the selectors for this year's team would have been missing.
It's now up to Tedesco to deliver his best performance and help secure a victory for the Blues.
New South Wales has the advantage for the State of Origin series opener, playing on home turf at Accor Stadium on June 5.
