Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Jake Trbojevic faces being sacked from the NSW side the year after leading it to a series victory if he can’t return to top form with strong performances for Manly over the next two weeks.
Returning Blues coach Laurie Daley will pick his side for the opening game of the State of Origin series at Suncorp Stadium on Monday week, with several positions still up for grabs. Among them are who will partner Payne Haas in the front row, whether Mitchell Moses or Jarome Luai partners Nathan Cleary in the halves, and the two wing spots.
Given that Zac Lomax isn’t ready to return for Parramatta against the Dolphins on Thursday night, and Brian To’o’s Panthers have a bye next week, the incumbent wingers have only one game to prove their form and fitness. Due to their lack of game time, Daley is likely to only risk one of the underdone stars for the series opener.
However, the biggest talking point is likely to be around the incumbent skipper. Previous coach Michael Maguire named Trbojevic as his captain, believing he embodied the traits he was looking for in a Blues leader.
While the Manly forward played only 85 minutes across the three games, he was lauded for his contributions on and off the field. However, Trbojevic has missed the past two games with a concussion, and a case could be made that other middle forwards have been in better form this season.
Daley said the form of players over the next two rounds would be crucial to all selection decisions, including that of Trbojevic.
Incumbent NSW skipper Jake Trbojevic.Credit: Getty Images
“Obviously Jake’s a wonderful bloke, a great leader,” Daley said.
“What he did last year – and the feedback on what he did last year – was sensational. He was all about the team; he knew his role and that his role wasn’t going to be a big one.
“In that type of role, you’ve got to be selfless, and he filled it really well. I love Jake, I love him as a player, but again you’ve got to assess all of them on how they’re going and throw everything into the mix; captain, what he’s done in the past, what’s he like in the group, how he was sort of the glue last year.
“All those things will play a part in everyone’s selection, not just Jake. But I love Jake as a player.”
Told that if he missed selection, the selfless Trbojevic would only want what is best for the team, Daley replied: “Yeah, you want blokes like that, but you also want them to be dirty.
“You also want them to be ‘I want to be a part of this team’, and that drives their performance.
“And it’s also one that, when you ring some players and tell them that they are not in, you want to be able to sort of say to them, well, you just missed out because someone is playing better than you, rather than, ‘Oh mate, you’ve gotta do this, you gotta do that, you gotta do that to get yourself up to a level.’
“It’s just one of those conversations that you don’t like having, but it’s a great conversation to have because basically they deserve to be in there, but you’re just gonna have to say, ‘Mate, unfortunately you have missed out, but don’t give up.’
Jake Trbojevic during the 2024 Origin series.Credit: Getty Images
“Very rarely do you take the same 17 into three games. You just have to be ready to go.
“As much as that sounds corny, you just have to go with those you think will get the job done for game one.”
Should Trbojevic be overlooked, Cleary and Isaah Yeo – the skippers at their club side Penrith – are the favourites to take over the captaincy.
There is also intrigue over the composition with the halves, with Daley open to the prospect of pairing halfbacks Cleary and Moses together.
“That wouldn’t worry me at all, I think that those two would combine well,” he said.
“If that happened, one would certainly be in control of the team, but Luai has played some really good football with both those players, and is playing well at the Tigers, albeit in a different role.
“That’s the choice you want. All of them deserve a chance and we’ll just see what happens over the next couple of weeks, but that’s certainly an option.”
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