Josh Dugan is set to be recalled to the NSW team for Origin II if he can assure Blues coach Laurie Daley that he will be able to take part in full-contact training from next Wednesday.
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However, if Dugan and the St George Illawarra medical staff have any doubts about his fitness, Daley will make a decision between retaining Josh Morris at right centre or blooding Canberra wrecking ball Joey Leilua in the must-win June 21 clash at Suncorp Stadium.
Dugan was selected to play opposite Greg Inglis in the series opener at ANZ Stadium but withdrew after aggravating an elbow injury at training in Coffs Harbour that required surgery.
After being forced to wake Morris at the Canterbury team hotel in Canberra on the morning of their match against the Raiders to tell him he was required in Sydney for training with the Blues, Daley does not want to be placed in a similar situation again, but he is willing to pick Dugan if he has fully recovered.
While Dugan was initially expected to be sidelined for four weeks, Dragons coach Paul McGregor said he had been working around the clock in a bid to be fit for Origin II.
"He's keen to give himself every opportunity to either play on that Wednesday night or play the following week with us," McGregor said. "You could never write him off. You're never sure with Josh. He's a competitor. He'll give himself every chance. He could make it, definitely.
"I wouldn't rule anything out. He's a good healer. He came back from his neck [surgery] a lot earlier. He hasn't missed many games of footy in the last 18 months as well."
Dugan won the Brad Fittler Medal as NSW's best player in last year's series, during which he played fullback, but Daley was happy with the performance of Penrith's Matt Moylan in the No.1 jersey and also intends to stick with the Origin I spine of halfback Adam Reynolds, five-eighth James Maloney, hooker Robbie Farah and Moylan, who had never previously played together.
However, he is weighing up whether to stick with a proven defensive performer in Morris or introduce more strike out wide with the inclusion of Leilua, who has been in dynamic form for the Raiders.
According to Champion Data, Leilua has scored four tries and been responsible for six try assists, while running 1476 metres and making one line break, 12 line break assists, 54 tackle breaks and 36 offloads in 11 games for the Raiders.
In comparison, Morris has scored five tries and had one try assist, while running 1345 metres and making four line breaks, two line break assists, 15 tackle breaks and 14 offloads in 12 matches for the Bulldogs.
Leilua has missed seven tackles to 12 by Morris but committed 18 errors to 11 and conceded six penalties compared to just two by the Canterbury centre.
Blues assistant coach Matt Parish has previously worked with Leilua in the Samoa team and is known to be a supporter of his but he and Daley were not unhappy with Morris's performance in Origin I as he and winger Blake Ferguson nullifiied Inglis and Corey Oates.
However, there is a feeling that if NSW are to win in Brisbane and keep the series alive they will need to score more than one try and Dugan or Leilua may create more scoring opportunities than Morris.
With the Dragons-Bulldogs and Cronulla-North Queensland matches being played on Monday, Daley is expected to again name an extended squad to cover for any injury concerns but few changes are expected to the side beaten 6-4 in Origin I.
Likely NSW team: Matt Moylan; Josh Mansour, Michael Jennings, Josh Dugan/Josh Morris/Joey Leilua, Blake Ferguson; James Maloney, Adam Reynolds; Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah, James Tamou, Greg Bird, Josh Jackson, Paul Gallen. Interchange: Dylan Walker, David Klemmer, Andrew Fifita, Tyson Frizell/Wade Graham.