UNBELIEVABLE: NSW Blues boss Laurie Daley has a difficult choice to make but…FULL STORY 👉

UNBELIEVABLE: NSW Blues boss Laurie Daley has a difficult choice to make but…FULL STORY 👉

As State of Origin looms, all eyes are on Laurie Daley and the unenviable decision facing the former Blues coach turned selector. With form, fitness, and future all colliding at once, the pressure to pick the perfect NSW lineup is reaching boiling point—and one name sits at the heart of it all.

 

Do you go with experience or form? Loyalty or spark? Incumbency or impact?

 

One of the toughest calls surrounds the halves pairing. With Nicho Hynes under fire and Mitchell Moses returning from injury, the balance between match fitness and big-game temperament becomes critical. Hynes, electric for Cronulla but shaky in Origin I last year, has vocal supporters—and equally vocal critics. Moses, though untested this season, brings familiarity and structure.

Then there’s the forward pack. David Klemmer’s name is doing the rounds again, his form impossible to ignore. But is there room for him in a new-age pack built on speed and mobility? What about the bolters—like Haumole Olakau’atu—offering explosive edge-running and fresh energy?

 

And don’t forget the outside backs. Dylan Edwards’ consistency is putting real heat on James Tedesco. The idea of dropping the Blues captain seemed absurd a year ago. Now? Not so much.

 

Laurie Daley has seen it all—from coaching box pressure to media storm madness. But this year’s selection puzzle may be his toughest yet. No matter who he picks, the critics will line up. But make no mistake: the series could hinge on the boldness—or conservatism—of his final call.

 

Pick safe and risk same old results. Pick bold and you might change Origin history.