State of Origin I is already in flux, with both camps facing significant disruption following injuries to key forwards Jake Trbojevic and Tom Gilbert.
The New South Wales and Queensland selectors will now be forced to revise their round one blueprints as the May 28 opener draws closer.
Trbojevic, who captained the Blues in 2023, was ruled out under the NRL's mandatory concussion protocols after suffering a Category 1 head knock in Manly's loss to North Queensland.
The hit saw the veteran prop slump to the turf after colliding with Murray Taulagi in a worrying scene that drew immediate concern from teammates and opposition alike. Brothers Tom and Ben both spent time crouched by his side, checking on his condition.
It is Trbojevic's second concussion in under a month, and his availability for the remainder of the Origin series will hinge on further assessment.
โObviously it was a really sad sight to see him concussed there,โ said Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold after the game.
โThat's the second one in the last month. We have a lot of concern for Jake, but he's up and about. Obviously he will miss next week, and we need to look after his welfare.โ
While the Blues lose one of their most reliable defensive anchors, Queensland have their own headache.
Hard-nosed Dolphins forward Tom Gilbert left the field with a suspected torn pectoral during Saturday's match against the Warriors.
He was in visible discomfort post-game, his arm in a sling and his Origin hopes hanging by a thread.
Gilbert had only recently returned from long-term shoulder and knee issues and was expected to reclaim a jersey in Billy Slater's pack.
โWe won't know the severity of that until we get scans in the next day or two,โ said Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf.
โHe's disappointed, but he's a tough man. He's handled disappointment before, and he knows how to get himself through it. He'll do it again.โ
