Approaching the 2025 State of Origin series opening match, NSW Blues coach Laurie Daley is set to encounter several tough decisions as multiple key players from last year's series are currently sidelined due to injury.
With incumbent wingers Brian To'o (Penrith Panthers) and Zac Lomax (Parramatta Eels) currently sidelined with injuries, there has been a ton of speculation about who could potentially replace them as the Blues attempt to go back-to-back.
Now, former NSW Blues icon, Newcastle Knights halfback and Immortal Andrew Johns has revealed who should appear on the wing if either of the two players is unavailable for selection.
Although Johns conceded that To'o and Lomax should be fit and ready to go as the latter remains sidelined for the next five weeks with an ankle injury, he proposed an interesting candidate to take his place if he's unavailable.
While Canterbury Bulldogs and Lebanon international Jacob Kiraz has emerged as the key frontrunner to replace Lomax, the Immortal "wouldn't hesitate" by gifting a State of Origin debut to 2024 Dally M Rookie of the Year Jack Bostock.
In only 31 matches, Bostock has scored 18 tries to date and has shown that he has all the makings of a future Origin representative after moving from the St George Illawarra Dragons to Redcliffe.
"He brings the ball out of trouble, which for Origin is what you need," Johns said on Immortal Behaviour.
"He's a big body, he's tall and strong in the air and a really good finisher. To me, he just looks like a rep player and an Origin sort of player.
"There's talk of Jacob Kiraz, but if I was to put Bostock and Kiraz next to each other, I think Bostock is a little bit in front. He's over 100kg and he's super athletic โฆ he's a gun.
"He is probably a couple of years off it, but I wouldn't hesitate to put him in there."
