Going into Sunday's City-Country match, Daley had made it clear the NSW No.6 jersey was Reynolds' to lose and he hoped a break from the pressures of club football would bring out the best in the likeable Canterbury star.

Yet Reynolds undid the good work he did in the first half when he inexcusably lashed out at Tariq Sims with his right foot in an attempt to trip the Country forward after being wrong-footed in the lead-up to his 52nd-minute try.

Reynolds was then placed on report a second time in the 77th minute for a shoulder charge on David Mead after the Country fullback had broken into the clear and looked set to score until being rounded up by City halfback Blake Austin, who put himself forward for a utility role if Daley wants one on his interchange bench.

Neither incident was particularly serious but the fact that Reynolds would commit such acts of stupidity with so much at stake left people shaking their heads in disbelief.

"It's just unnecessary," former NSW Origin great Andrew Johns said during the Channel Nine commentary of the match, won 34-22 by Country.

Even Blues captain Paul Gallen admitted Reynolds would be lucky to escape a suspension for the trip. "I just call it a Josh Reynolds brain snap," Gallen told Triple M. "He is just such a competitor, he just wants to do his best for the team and he has jumped into a tackle. I can't see much come out of it but the one I am worried for him is possibly a trip because he has been charged with it before so he might get a low grade [charge] there."

The problem for Reynolds is that he has had five judiciary charges since Origin I last year and each one attracts a loading of 50 per cent for a similar charge and 20 per cent for a non-similar charge.

As a result, a grade-one tripping charge that carries a base penalty of 75 demerit points would equate to a two-match ban for Reynolds, while any charge over the shoulder charge on Mead would result in three-match ban.

He also has carryover points from a two-match suspension for a grade-one dangerous throw on Penrith fullback Matt Moylan in the opening round of the season.

While everyone admires his enthusiasm and competitiveness, the number of charges Reynolds has incurred in the past 12 months and the circumstances around them suggest he struggles to cope under pressure and there is no more intense arena in rugby league than State of Origin.

"Enthusiasm is not what his problem has been," Johns said. "His job is to create opportunities for his outside men. That is what we want to see from Josh Reynolds."

In the early exchanges he was doing that and City raced to an 8-0 lead after he ran the ball and created space for second rower Curtis Sironen in a movement that led to Austin crossing in the 12th minute for the second of his three tries.

His kicking game was good and he was leading the way for City in the kick-chase department but as Country got on top Reynolds lost his way.

The dilemma for Daly now is whether he opts for Country five-eighth James Maloney and if so does he then dump Canterbury halfback Trent Hodkinson for Mitchell Pearce.

Another option under consideration is to pick Pearce over his Sydney Roosters teammate and partner him with Hodkinson at the scrum base.

Maloney was man of the match for his role in helping Country to come from behind and win the annual clash but his choice of options in the first 20 minutes were a concern as passes went to ground and balls were kicked over the dead ball line.

However, Maloney had to do all of the organising as his halves partner for Country was Cronulla rookie Jack Bird and once they settled he set up a number of tries with passes and kicks.

Other players to impress for Origin selection were Country second-rower Josh Jackson, Sims, Tyson Frizzell and wingers Akuila Uate and James McManus, while City props David Klemmer and Andrew Fifita did their chances no harm.