New South Wales' "puzzling" squad changes for Game 3 of the Origin series have raised questions over the Blues' selection process, as veterans Brian To'o and Apisai Koroisau were among those left out of the side to face Queensland in Brisbane for the decider.
On this week's episode of the Loose Carry NRL Podcast, the team reacted to the changes, with analyst Leo Twemlow bemused by Laurie Daley's decision to cull To'o in favour of Bradman Best and Jack Bostock in the backs.
A long-serving leader for NSW, To'o's omission could leave the Blues vulnerable given Bostock's inexperience at that level.
"I feel like we were here three weeks ago speaking about the same thing for Game 2, were we not?" Twemlow said on this week's episode.
"To drop Brian To'o, who is consistently the Blues' best player every year - he won the Brad Fittler Medal last series... I feel like To'o is a player who can have a few bad games, but it doesn't warrant (an axing).
"He's had such a good career and such a good representative career that he can have a bad game here and there, and it's OK. It's very puzzling to me.
"I think this is the worst side picked so far out of the three (NSW) teams, and we're going to a decider at Suncorp."
Koroisau can also feel hard done by after not being used in the Game 2 loss to the Maroons in Melbourne, with fellow hookers Reece Robson and Blayke Brailey named in the 19-player squad for the decider instead.
The decision comes with a sense of "panic", according to rugby league coach Lee Addison, who questioned the Blues' planning for Game 3.
"Why was he picked in Game 2, not used, and then not picked in Game 3?" Addison said on Koroisau's demotion.
"It just smacks of not having a plan, smacks of having some panic, and also smacks of 'we're not very happy with what happened in Game 2.'"
