Source : ABC NEWS
Queensland and Brisbane Broncos duo Pat Carrigan and Gehamat Shibasaki have both been ruled out of State of Origin II because of injury.
Carrigan left the Broncos dressing rooms in a moon boot after their 30–26 loss to St George Illawarra at Lang Park on Sunday.
Scans revealed a syndesmosis injury, which is expected to rule Carrigan out of action for three to four weeks.
Shibasaki was diagnosed with a grade two MCL injury after the Dragons match and will miss five to six weeks.
He was on the Maroons’s interchange bench and did not take the field in the 22–20 loss to NSW in Origin I last Wednesday night.
Shibasaki will be sidelined for the remainder of the Origin series.
Pat Carrigan may be sidelined for up to four weeks. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
Carrigan has played 13 Origin matches in a row since his 2022 debut.
He played the first 32 minutes of the clash with the Dragons before being replaced.
He was on an exercise bike on the sideline early in the second half and later returned to the field but only lasted 10 minutes.
“It’s some sort of ankle sprain,” Broncos coach Michael Maguire said on Sunday.
“Patty felt he was OK to go back out there, they assessed him and strapped him up, but you could just sense he was struggling a little bit.”
The Maroons have options to replace middle forward Carrigan.
Reuben Cotter played second-row in Sydney but is equally at home in the middle.
Queensland could use Cotter in the middle and elevate Dolphins second-rower Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, who was 20th man in Origin I.
North Queensland second-rower Heilum Luki is another option if they were to go down that path.
The Maroons selectors will pick their squad after round 14 is completed this Sunday.
Origin II will be played at the MCG on June 17.
AAP
