Jake Trbojevic is set for a shock early return from injury this weekend in a final bid to push for a jersey in Brad Fittler's New South Wales State of Origin side for Game 1, while Aaron Woods is set to miss a month.
Trbojevic was originally set to be ruled out for at least a month after suffering a Grade 2 calf injury, however, it's reported that he will be named on Tuesday afternoon for Sunday afternoon's clash with the Canberra Raiders in the Nation's capital.
News Corp are reporting that both he and five-eighth Josh Schuster will be named for the clash.
The freakish recovery of Trbojevic will be a welcome relief to under pressure coach Anthony Seibold, who has overseen his team lose three on the hop, having originally won four and drawn one of their first seven matches in his reign at the club.
Brad Fittler too will be happy to see Trboevic back on the field, with the Blues' forward stocks for the Origin opener looking skinny.
It's believed Josh Schuster, who has spent more time off the field than on it so far this year, will also return in the halves, knocking Cooper Johns out of the side.
In a welcome relief to the men from the Northern Beaches, Schuster will suit up for just his fourth game of the year against the Raiders, having last played against the Wests Tigers in Round 8. Prior to that, he only managed a pair of games in his new role, during Round 3 against the Parramatta Eels and Round 4 against the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Replacing Kieran Foran, he was set to form a new partnership with Daly Cherry-Evans, but it has barely got out of first gear, and now will encounter the rocky State of Origin period, where Cherry-Evans is one of the first selected as Queensland's captain.
In worse news for Seibold's side, veteran prop Aaron Woods is reportedly set to miss out on a month of action with a broken hand.
It's understood Woods is believed to have suffered the injury during Sunday's game against the Sharks.
Woods has managed four appearances off the bench for the Sea Eagles since shifting from the St George Illawarra Dragons in the early part of the season, with his last two games seeing 40 and 44 minutes against the Brisbane Broncos and Sharks respectively.
It's anticipated that Trbojevic will come into the side for Woods, with one of Taniela Paseka or Sean Keppie reverting to a bench role.
It could be however that whichever of Keppie or Paseka ultimately gets moved is shifted to lock, with Josh Aloiai to spend time out with a dislocated shouolder, while Ethan Bullemor is also a chance to play in the back-row after Kelma Tuilagi suffered a facial injury against the Sharks.
The game against the Raiders kicks-off at 4:05pm (AEST) on Sunday.
