NSW Blues State of Origin advisor Greg Alexander has ruled out wholesale changes, but admitted there may be a handful of tweaks made to the side ahead of Game 2 in Perth.
The New South Wales camp has been left reeling on the back of a Game 1 defeat in Sydney, where they fell behind 16 points to 10, before a try nine minutes from fulltime to Cameron Murray set up a grandstand finish.
Queensland were able to hold on for the wing, meaning Brad Fittler's side now face the difficult task of winning games in both Perth and Brisbane to pick up a series victory and maintain the grip on the shield they regained last year.
Much was made of the injuries to the Blues camp in the lead-up to Game 1, with both Ryan Papenhuyzen and Latrell Mitchell likely to be fit for Game 2, while Tom Trbojevic is out for the series and the entire year.
Mitchell and Trbojevic, who lined up in the centres last year, are as good as irreplacable to the Blues, hwoever, speaking on SEN Radio on Thursday, Alexander said both Papenhuyzen and Mitchell could appear for the Blues as part of a "few tweaks."
“We have spoken about players that we think we might need,” Alexander said.
“Of course Latrell probably won’t play a game before the side is picked.
“Freddy will have a conversation with South Sydney and Latrell to see exactly where he is at.
“But there is still two rounds of footy to go. Latrell won’t play in either of those.
“Papenhuyzen might be back, so there will be a number of options. There won’t be wholesale changes. There won’t be massive changes.
“There might be a couple of tweaks where we think that we might need something that we just didn’t have last night.”
Mitchell would be an enormous gamble given his long lay-off with a hamstring injury, while the Blues need of a new utility was left in plain sight as Damien Cook struggled to get through 80 minutes against Queensland's dominant duo of Ben Hunt and Harry Grant.
New South Wales struggled enormously to control the ruck, and it could lead to Papenhuyzen or former Storm teammate but current Sharks star Nicho Hynes, who was 18th man for Game 1, being utilised in the number nine role from the bench for a short period of time to give Cook a break on either side of halftime.
Game 2, to be played in Perth on Sunday, June 26, will see teams picked after Round 15.
