‘It’s become a circus’: Brad Fittler hits out at selection debate as Mitchell Moses prepares for his second chance

Brad Fittler heard all the noise about who he should pick for Origin Game II, and after making his selections he's hit out at the outside noise.

Blues coach Brad Fittler says Mitch Moses was set to be the NSW halfback regardless of how well he played against the Bulldogs. Picture: Matt King / Getty Images

Blues coach Brad Fittler has labelled the selection debate leading into game 2 as “a circus” while also conceding how tough it was to leave out Dally M medallist Nicho Hynes after his limited minutes in the State of Origin series opener.

Team talk always dominates the media landscape after a NSW loss, and that was no different in the days following the 26-18 defeat in Adelaide.

While individual performances were heavily debated, an injury to Nathan Cleary sparked the biggest discussion, with Hynes, Mitchell Moses and Adam Reynolds all in the mix to claim the No.7 jersey.

A hamstring injury to Nathan Cleary sparked major debate as to who would be the NSW halfback for game 2. Picture: NRL Photos

Reynolds was considered the most obvious choice given he has been in terrific form and knows Suncorp Stadium well, and he did his chances no harm by scoring the matchwinning try for Brisbane on the weekend.

It was a different story for Hynes, who had a shocker against the Storm, while Moses was simply superb for Parramatta in a performance which sealed a spot that was already his, according to Fittler.

“The banter around who was going to play, I couldn’t quite work it out,” the NSW coach said.

“It makes you a lot more comfortable when you watch him yesterday go and control the game and play a big part in why they won. I find it interesting sometimes the chat around different players and choices. It’s become a circus.

“It’s just a circus around selections these days. It’s hilarious.”

Nicho Hynes made his Origin debut off the bench in Adelaide but missed out on selection for game two. Picture: Ben Clark

The decision to pick Moses meant Hynes missed out on the starting spot after he only came on for the final 12 minutes of the series opener when Tom Trbojevic was forced off for a head injury assessment.

Fittler said it was a brutal call to drop Hynes, who has been sensational for the Sharks since joining them last year, but conceded rookie Reece Robson was better suited to what they needed off the bench in game 2.

“It was tough because he’s had such an incredible year on and off the field,” he said.

“We just felt after the weekend’s round and the way that we wanted to play that there was more certainty around getting a second hooker in there. I think there’s more certainty with what we can do with the team. If things go wrong, then we’ll adapt.

“When you’re sitting there these days with the bench and the HIAs, it’s tricky. Queensland showed that you’ve just got to put people in those positions and give them a shot.

“At the end of the day, you can’t cover every position. There aren’t enough versatile players to cover every single position, so you’ve just got to go in with a plan.”

Nicho Hynes lost his spot on the bench for NSW after he struggled to make an impact in game 1 and then had an off day against the Storm. Picture: NRL Imagery

Fittler described leaving Hynes out of the side as “tough”.

“He’d had a tough couple of weeks,’’ Fittler said.

“There's a lot (of noise) around Nicho at the moment. He’s doing an incredible job off the field.

“The Sharks are where they are at the moment – they’re great some weeks and not great other weeks.

“There’s a lot of media scrutiny around Nicho and pressure on going down to Melbourne and it just didn’t work out.

“It’s best to give him time to go back to Cronulla and get it right.’’

Asked if Hynes would still be under consideration for Origin II, Fittler replied: “Of course. He‘s a great character, without a doubt.

“There was a good chance he would have been in this squad but Cronulla are playing this week.”

Fittler said Hynes handled the news of his omission with typical class.

“He was good,” Fittler said.

“I made contact and he was good. He was aware and encouraged me for the game.

“He was everything I expected.”

Mitchell Moses made his Origin debut in 2021 but suffered a serious back injury early on. Picture: Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images

This will be the second time Moses has pulled on a Blues jersey after he made his debut in game 3 of the 2021 series when Cleary was out injured.

The Eels halfback suffered a broken back in the opening minutes of that game, which the Blues lost 20-18, but he’s taken his game to new heights since then with a grand final appearance last year, as well as a quarter-final appearance at the World Cup with Lebanon.

It was five years earlier that Fittler first worked with Moses when he was coach of the Lebanon team, and he’s seen him mature on and off the field since then in his role as the chief playmaker.

“I’ve always had confidence in Mitchell,” Fittler said.

“Last time Nathan didn’t play, Mitchell took his position. In my eyes, it was Mitchell’s to lose.

“He got into a grand final, so they’re winning big games.

“I think we all know the pressure that a No.7 wears these days and what they have to do for their team. They (Parramatta) had a great year last year. Big games are big games, and they got used to winning them.

“When you watch Nathan at Penrith, he’s the dominant voice. When you watch Mitchell at Parramatta, he’s also the dominant voice. Jarome (Luai) and Mitchell are going to have to find a combination and expedite the way they work together.”

Originally published as ‘It’s become a circus’: Brad Fittler hits out at selection debate as Mitchell Moses prepares for his second chance