Peter Wallace has officially been ruled out of the State of Origin series opener, making way for fiery Titans hooker Nathan Peats to make his NSW debut in game one.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Wallace joined an extended NSW squad in Sydney on Monday morning and underwent scans and extensive medical treatment on an injured groin in a bid to prove his fitness for the opening game of the series.
Unfortunately for the veteran rake and for the Panthers, he now faces four to six weeks on the sidelines with a grade two adductor tear.
While Wallace will miss out on what would have been his first Origin match since 2009, it has opened the door for Peats to make his maiden Origin appearance ahead of incumbent Robbie Farah.
Peats is one of two debutants named in Blues coach Laurie Daley's team for the clash against Queensland on May 31, with Australian representative Jake Trbojevic earning a spot on the bench.
Trbojevic made his Test debut for the Kangaroos in last year's Four Nations tournament, forming a close relationship with fellow Blues forwards David Klemmer and Aaron Woods.
Sunday night's call-up was a bitter-sweet moment for the Trbojevic family, with younger brother Tom missing out on certain selection after picking up separate knee and ankle injuries just over a week ago.
Penrith's Matt Moylan was called into the squad that gathered in Sydney on Monday morning as standby for the injured Josh Dugan.
However the Cronulla-bound Dugan is expected to get the green light and take his place in the centres alongside Jarryd Hayne.
Hayne will make his return to the Origin arena after a two-year hiatus playing NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and rugby sevens for Fiji.
He is one of just five players - including Brett Morris, Boyd Cordner, Dugan and Woods - who featured in NSW's rare series triumph under Daley back in 2014.
Hayne's future will remain a topic of discussion throughout the Origin camp as he weighs up an option in his favour to remain at the Titans next season before the May 31 deadline - which coincides with the opening Origin game.
Morris, who has 12 Origin games to his name, returns to the Blues fold after missing last year's series with a knee injury that forced him out of the majority of the 2016 season.
Boyd Cordner will be announced as captain of the Blues following the retirement of Paul Gallen.
NSW TEAM FOR GAME ONE
1. James Tedesco
2. Blake Ferguson
3. Josh Dugan
4. Jarryd Hayne
5. Brett Morris
6. James Maloney
7. Mitchell Pearce
8. Aaron Woods
9. Nathan Peats
10. David Klemmer
11. Boyd Cordner
12. Tyson Frizell
13. Josh Jackson
14. Jack Bird
15. Wade Graham
16. Andrew Fifita
17. Jake Trbojevic
