The NSW Blues have been forced into a change less than two hours after naming their squad for Game 2 of the State of Origin series, with Stephen Crichton reportedly ruled out of the game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Crichton, who has been under a fitness cloud for much of the year, played in Game 1, but struggled with his ball handling.
Despite that, and the form of the Canterbury Bulldogs, he was retained for Game 2 when head coach Laurie Daley announced a 21-man squad in alphabetical order on Monday evening.
Crichton played for the Bulldogs in the final game of the round which finished just an hour before that squad was announced.
View both State of Origin Game 2 teams here
It has now been revealed by Channel Nine's Danny Weidler that his shoulder isn't good enough to train this week, and he will be ruled out of Game 2 as a result.
It's understood Sydney Roosters star Mark Nawaqanitawase, himself having only recently returned from a syndesmosis injury, will be called into camp, with Casey McLean likely to start.
McLean was named on the six-man bench in Game 1, and came onto the field with 20 minutes to go, doing a sterling job for the Blues after they lost Tolutau Koula to a concussion in the same play Kalyn Ponga was sent off.
McLean's performance asked the question whether he should have been starting for Game 2, but it now appears he will.
The Blues have other questions to answer around their starting side, with Payne Haas returning, and Mitchell Moses being named despite not being fit enough to play with the Eels on Monday.
