Former NSW Blues legends Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns are predicting Laurie Daley will make a late change to the Blues line-up ahead of the opening State of Origin clash on Wednesday night.
When Daley named his squad 10 days ago, he listed Addin Fonua-Blake and Mitchell Barnett as the two starting props for the Blues.
With the recent rule changes benefitting the more nimble, agile forwards, there are predicting either Cameron Murray or Victor Radley will join the starting forward park for either Fonua-Blake or Barnett.
“Maybe for one of the bigger middles (forwards) they've got at the moment,” Fittler said on Nine's Freddy & the Eighth.
“He (Murray) just provides so much speed. Wow, he's fast. If you had him and then James Tedesco, all of a sudden your kicking game looks pretty easy.”
With the six-agains running rampant in the modern game, Fittler is expecting Murray to do some damage to tired Queensland forwards around the ruck, and identified that space as a key area to strike.
However, Johns has lent the other way, saying the big boys will lay the platform in the engine room, and then the Blues should strike with their agile forwards after the first 20 minutes.
“I thought they may start with (Jacob) Saifiti and Addin Fonua-Blake, two real big boppers up front,” Johns said.
“Just say you've got 25 minutes, search and destroy, go out and do your work, and then bring Victor and Cam on.”
Murray and Radley both have the benefit of slotting in anywhere from prop to lock, and can slide on an edge too, giving them incredible versatility if injury strikes the Blues during the game.
There will be all eyes on Radley when he enters the match for his highly anticipated NSW debut, with the Clovelly junior set to produce a lot of high-octane action and tough defensive grit when he comes onto the field.
The Blues will take on the equally formidable Queensland Maroons at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night.
