Phil Gould has made a shocking call ahead of State of Origin Game One, with the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs boss urging the Blues to stay away from Spencer Leniu.
A warning that is sure to fire up Sydney Roosters fans, Gould has insisted the impact middle's services are not needed in the Origin opener.
"I like Spencer, but I don't always buy the idea that you need a 10-minute impact player off the bench in Origin," he said on Wide World of Sports' Six Tackles With Gus.
He went on to discuss the implications of adding a guy like Leniu to the Origin arena, giving Blues coach plenty to ponder ahead of his Game One selections.
"[If you get] two HIAs and a sin bin or a send off, the complexion of your team changes dramatically straight away. Spencer Leniu has never, at any stage of his career, shown us that he can be a 70 or 80-minute performer at club level, let alone at Origin level.
"I don't think I would leave myself open to that. You can take the gamble, and it was a successful gamble at times last year, because he can come on and ruffle a few feathers."
Gould believes that Leniu would "get found out" if the Blues attempted to "play [him] for even 50 minutes," adding that the three-time premiership winner simply "doesn't do that."
"He's a powerful, off-the-bench unit that can scatter teams and make an impact.
"There's a place for that, but then you run the risk of 'what happens if' and you need to cover all contingencies. It's a gamble if you go with it."
Leniu has averaged a measly 25 minutes per game in his three appearances for the Blues. However, his output in those matches is unrivalled, quadrupling his minutes played with his average run metres, smashing out nearly 100 metres per game.
Gould has not left Blues selectors with no ideas as to who should replace the 24-year-old firecracker, opting for a four-edge inclusion in the starting 17, as well as a well-deserved debut for Wests Tigers prop Terrell May.
While Gould's comments certainly hold some merit, with Leniu providing a spark off the bench that the Queensland Maroons have simply failed to rival, the NRL supremo may have missed the mark on his call to omit the electric impact forward.
Phil Gould's NSW Blues forward pack and bench
8. Payne Haas
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. Mitchell Barnett
11. Hudson Young
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo
14. Connor Watson
15. Terrell May
16. Angus Crichton
17. Haumole Olakau'atu
