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.
1. Casey McLean (Penrith Panthers)
The undoubted favourite at this stage. Even if Crichton was fit, you'd argue McLean would be in the mix for a jersey, potentially leaving Mitchell on the outside looking in.
His form for the high-flying Penrith Panthers has just been that good.
At 19 years of age, he is still exceptionally raw, but now has 34 NRL games under his belt, and has had six try involvements (four tries, two assists) in his four games to date this year. That's to go with ten tackle busts and an exceptional work rate which is churning out 141 metres per game.
He has essentially bought into the Panthers system, the way they play their footy, and his spot is absolutely locked up.
Some have raised questions of his defence, but whatever he is doing is working. Penrith has conceded 40 points in five games. You don't do that without excellent defensive systems.
McLean's other advantage is the simple fact Jenkins could also be picked on the wing. That combination are scoring points for fun, and if one is there, then the other could be as well on that fact alone.
2021 was a long time ago. I doubt Turbo will even be fit, come Origin, let alone be capable of playing SOO again.