Casey McLean has been ruled out of State of Origin Game 2 after the centre was pulled from the early stages of New South Wales training on Saturday morning.
Nine's Danny Weidler, who broke the story, reported that McLean was separated from the main group during warm-ups and worked on by physios, with a hamstring compression bandage placed on his leg during the session.
McLean did not rejoin his teammates on the field.
It has been confirmed that it's a strained quad injury for the centre.
Leading into camp for Game Two, he was initially cleared of serious structural damage to his ankle after an awkward landing against the Wests Tigers in Round 14.
This is a separate injury, and the timing couldn't be worse for the Blues.
Ethan Strange could play centre in Game Two to replace McLean.
The Raiders' five-eighth previously played centre in the Under-19s State of Origin side for the Blues in 2023 and played an incredible game, showcasing his talents.
Laurie Daley had mentioned earlier in the week that he has a game plan for Strange, who was one of the best players in Game One.
If the Blues coach didn't want to change what he has in mind for Strange, there is someone else in the mix.
Another pathway could be to replace the Panthers' centre with Mark Nawaqanitawase, potentially reshuffling Tolutau Koula to his preferred position at centre and the Roosters' high flyer playing in his preferred spot on the right wing.
The Blues will need to get NRL approval to name their replacement.
