Canterbury Bulldogs and New South Wales Blues star Stephen Crichton has suffered a potentially serious shoulder injury and is in significant doubt for the opening game of this year's State of Origin series.

The star centre, who suffered the injury during a Good Friday loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, will need scans to confirm the extent of the injury, but coach Cameron Ciraldo admitted it wasn't looking good.

If he needs surgery, Origin 1 is a pipe dream, and the rest of the series could be gone too. If he can rehabilitate the injury, he may be a chance of returning before Origin 1, but whether he would be thrown into that fire, lacking match fitness, is a decision for Laurie Daley to answer.

While there are plenty of candidates to assume the vacant spot in the centres, there is a clear favourite.

Assuming incumbents Brian To'o and Latrell Mitchell will be picked, and either Thomas Jenkins or Jacob Kiraz will win the race for the other wing spot, here are the players in the mix to line up in the centres if Crichton is unavailable for the opening game of the series when New South Wales will attempt to recapture the shield from Queensland after the dramatic failure of 2025.

2. Tolutau Koula (Manly Sea Eagles)

One of the bright spots, even among the early losses this season for Manly, was Koula.

That's not exactly a surprise either. He has been in excellent form it feels like ever since he made his debut.

Powerful, aggressive and reading the game well, he continues to get better as he hones his craft and gets into his career. He is the type of player who looks like he would excel at Origin level, with talent at both ends of the park.

The Tongan international is now 23 and ready for a step up in responsibilities, having 40 NRL tries to his name across 85 appearances for Manly.

The club has re-signed him, he is comfortable in his work and averaging a stunning 194 metres per game this year.

He is well and truly in the mix.

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