Live: Cruel injury blow for luckless Origin hopeful as Crichton escapes ban

Luke Metcalf tries for a mammoth two-point field goal from well beyond the 40m line, but it sails right.

It goes dead on the full, so he had plenty of distance, just a little off with the radar.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is struggling under the high ball in his return from a hamstring injury and drops a bomb. He’s clearly knocked it on, but referee Peter Gough says it went back. I cannot stress to you how much it didn’t.

And, a couple of tackles later, Luke Metcalf gets the ball on the front foot and grubbers through for himself, regathering before putting away Kurt Capewell for another Warriors try.

Coincidentally, if Gilbert’s injury is as serious as it appears, don’t be surprised if the man who just scored that try may be the replacement for the Maroons.

The Dolphins captain was wrong-footed by that run from  Marata Niukore and had to throw his left arm out to try to stop the flying Warriors back rower.

Gilbert immediately was left grabbing at his left shoulder and pectoral muscle and he cuts a miserable figure as he’s forced off the field.

Gilbert, who suffered a season-ending right shoulder injury in Game I of 2023 and then missed 2024 with a torn ACL, looked nailed on to be in Billy Slater’s Queensland team for the State of Origin series opener, but this doesn’t look good.

It’s taken almost half an hour, but the Warriors finally break through for points as Wayde Egan hits Marata Niukore with a gorgeous ball from dummy half.

Kodi Nikorima shoots up on the outside, leaving Tom Gilbert all alone on the inside, and the big back rower can barely lay a hand on his opposite number, who dives over to score.

The 21-year-old prop replaces Demitric Vaimauga, who’s off for an HIA after a high shot from Kodi Nikorima.

Meanwhile, the Warriors bomb a chance on the left as Adam Pompey fails to get the ball away to unmarked winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

The Dolphins are penalised for a high shot on Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and concede two set restarts for ruck infringements.

The Warriors look to have them shot on the right, but Jack Bostock manages to break up the final pass, so the Warriors will reload with a full set again.

Was Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow onside? Did he knock on in the contest?

On-field referee Peter Gough says yes and no respectively, but the bunker is going to have a close look.

Isaiaya Katoa’s kick put Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad under pressure as Tabua-Fidow steamed through. The Hammer leapt from a long way away and collided with the Warriors fullback, who knocked on.

It appears he may have knocked on in the aerial contest. And the bunker says he did!

NO TRY. Another tight call, and again probably correct from Kasey Badger.

Luke Metcalf hits Marata Niukore, one of the hardest line runners in the league, with a short ball close to the line.

But Kodi Nikorima, the smallest player out there, hits him low and brings him down a metre out with an assist from Tom Gilbert and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

Luke Metcalf kicks across field and brings the ball down just in front of the left post.

Leka Halasima flies for the ball and might have knocked on, but on-field referee Peter Gough says the ball has gone backwards to Chanel Harris-Tavita, who grounds it under the posts.

The replays are very close, but the bunker steps in and says Halasima knocked it forward.

I’m inclined to agree. I think he knocked it back into his own shoulder and then it went forward, only by about 30 centimetres though.

The Warriors kick high to the left and Adam Pompey bats it back before a flying Jamayne Isaako gets to it. Leka Halasima regathers and maybe should have passed out to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, but steps inside instead and offloads to Chanel Harris-Tavita.

He takes on the defence of Isaako, but Katoa arrives just in time to force the error.

After a very wet week in Brisbane, the Dolphins and Warriors are enjoying a gorgeous afternoon in Brisbane, with no rain and cool conditions.

Both teams are clearly enjoying themselves on the dry, fast track, spinning the ball from sideline to sideline and completing at 100 percent so far.

Both have enjoyed a couple of penalties out of their own end, but no-one has been able to get into truly attacking footy just yet.

And James Fisher-Harris is straight back into the nitty-gritty with the first hit-up of the game.

The Warriors immediately spread it left and Leka Halasima threatens on the flank before being brought down.

Chanel Harris-Tavita follows up with a half-break, and that may be a signal of the Kiwis’ intent today.

Nothing too major, just a Dally M medallist and a Golden Boot winner back in the line-up for the Warriors.

It’s prop and co-captain James Fisher-Harris’s first game back since a pectoral injury in round six. while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck returns on the wing from a hamstring injury, bolstering the Warriors’ backline.

On the bench, Sam Healey drops out to make way for prop Tanner Stowers-Smith to make his debut.

The Dolphins are unchanged from the team that beat the Eels last week.

Canterbury captain Stephen Crichton will be free to play State of Origin after being hit with a grade one charge for dangerous contact in last night’s win over the Roosters.

Early in the second half, Crichton tried to grubber through the line, but Lindsay Collins dove on the ball to clean up, with Crichton flying in and hitting the prone Roosters prop in the head with his shoulder.

The Bulldogs centre was penalised but stayed on the field, and the NRL match review committee has allowed him to get away with a $3,000 fine with an early guilty plea. It’s his third and subsequent offence, so if he tried to fight the charge at the judiciary and failed he would be banned for two games, which would rule him out of State of Origin I.

On Channel Nine’s coverage of the game, former Blues coach Brad Fittler was confident Crichton would be cleared, while Maroons assistant Johnathan Thurston was less certain

Fittler: “He’s got him with the shoulder, [but] the way the game’s moved since a couple of weeks ago, I don’t think it’s too bad. So I think he’ll be OK.”

Thurston: “Not too bad but there’s still a duty of care when someone’s on the ground. You still need a wrapping motion [with the arm] and he’s not done that at all. So it’ll be very interesting to see what the match review committee have [to say].”

Crichton is many people’s favourite to get one of the two NSW centre spots, and could even line up on the wing if need be, with the fitness of Zac Lomax and Brian To’o in doubt.

The 24-year-old has also been floated as a possible captain to replace Jake Trbojevic.

We’ve got another trio of sensational games today, with top-eight and State of Origin implications aplenty.

First up, the Dolphins host the rampant Warriors at Lang Park, then the Cowboys and Manly face off in Townsville, and the Sharks and Storm wrap things up in Cronulla.

By the end of the day, all six of these teams could be in the top eight, so there’s plenty to play for.

I’m Jon Healy, and I’ll be your guide today. So please hang out for the next few hours as we ride every bump along the way.