After just one game back Mitchell Pearce is arguably the form half in NSW and as Laurie Daley mulls over his return the Blues coach is unlikely to gain many answers to his greatest conundrum – who to select at six and seven in State of Origin this year – in the increasingly irrelevant City-Country match.
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As has become custom there are expected to be a string of notable absentees when the City and Country Origin teams are announced on Monday ahead of the annual rep fixture in Tamworth.
Among them are a host of candidates to be in the Blues halves on June 1. South Sydney's Adam Reynolds was expected to be the City No.7 jersey but is on ice just two matches back from a broken jaw; Josh Reynolds, his likely partner, is out after re-injuring the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.
Canberra's Blake Austin was set to be unavailable two games back from a hamstring tear and having copped a knock to the chest in the one-point defeat to Penrith on Saturday.
Manly's Dylan Walker was withdrawn from contention after leaving the field against the Cowboys on Saturday with a leg injury.
Pearce pulled up sore after starring in the Sydney Roosters' rout of Newcastle on Saturday night, his first appearance after returning from suspension.
At fullback the scenario is no brighter for Daley with NSW contenders Matt Moylan and Lachlan Coote (rib) sitting out City-Country fixture, along with the frontrunner for the Blues No.1 jumper James Tedesco after he fractured a shoulder against Souths last Thursday. Another option, Canterbury's Will Hopoate, is unavailable due to his decision not to play on Sundays.
Canberra's Aidan Sezer was considered likely to fill one of the halves positions for Brad Fittler's City side.
