State of Origin 2024 early mail: Jack Wighton won’t come out of rep retirement for injury-ravaged Blues
Jack Wighton has dealt a fresh blow to Michael Maguire’s growing NSW selection headache by ruling himself out of making a return to the State of Origin stage.
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NSW coach Michael Maguire will be forced to wait until the 11th hour to confirm his side for the opening State of Origin game after Jack Wighton reiterated his Blues retirement on Tuesday and halfback Mitchell Moses put his return on hold for another week.
Rumours have swirled for weeks that Wighton would reverse his decision to stand down from the Origin arena, a decision that would have handed Maguire a boost as he prepares to name the first team of his NSW tenure.
However, Wighton confirmed there would be no coming back as he concentrates his energies on helping South Sydney turn around their season. Within hours, the Blues had suffered another blow when Moses was left out of the Parramatta side to face Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
Moses has been sidelined with a foot injury since the opening weeks of the season and will now get only one chance to convince Maguire to bet on him in Origin I, to be played at ANZ Stadium on June 5.
The good news for Maguire was that Nicho Hynes was named to take on the Sydney Roosters in a clash of the heavyweights on Saturday night, although he still needs to prove his fitness as he makes his way back from a calf problem.
Wighton is definitely out of Origin calculations after ruling out a return on Tuesday, having held multiple discussions with Maguire over the prospect of reversing his representative retirement.
As much as he would like to help NSW topple Queensland and win back the Origin shield, Wighton said his priority was to repay Souths for taking a punt on him.
“I have been in chats with Madge and trying to keep my body fit here,” Wighton said.
“As you see we are in a ... slump. When Madge and I started having those conversations earlier in the year things were a little bit different.
“Now I just want to give my full attention to Souths and try to repay them for bringing me here.
“I think I can keep my body a little bit fresher and out of that representative arena, I will have a better chance of doing that.”
Pressed on whether he was close to changing his mind, Wighton said: “At times. There is no use talking about it. I have made a decision now.
“There are still a lot of great players, a lot of young fresh kids. I feel like I have done my time.
“These young kids are coming through and getting stronger and fitter and bigger and faster. Fly them in there and let them go.”
With Moses sidelined for another week and Hynes still no certainty to play, Maguire will take special interest in games on Friday night and Sunday afternoon at Suncorp Stadium.
The Bulldogs kick off Magic Round on Friday night against Canberra, giving Matt Burton the chance to press his claims for an Origin recall.
On Sunday, Jarome Luai will take charge of the Panthers in the absence of Mitchell Moses as he looks to reclaim the sky blue jersey he lost for the final game of last year’s series.
Incumbent five-eighth Cody Walker will also get the opportunity to remind Maguire of his quality on Saturday night against North Queensland, as will Souths fullback Latrell Mitchell.
There has been talk that Mitchell may rule himself out of Origin contention for game one and while Wighton wouldn’t buy into that talk, he insisted his mate would do the job if he was called upon.
“That’s a Latrell question,” Wighton said.
“He is 100 percent a big game player, one of the best to do it. What they are doing and what they are talking about I have no idea. That is the truth.”
NICHO NAMED BUT SHOCK NO.6 WILDCARD FIRMS FOR BLUES
-Brent Read
Cronulla superstar Nicho Hynes will be named to make his return from a calf problem this weekend but there remains no guarantee that he or potential NSW halves partner Mitchell Moses will play in Magic Round as Blues coach Michael Maguire nervously eyes off Teams Tuesday with State of Origin looming large.
Maguire is counting the cost of another devastating weekend for his Origin side, the loss of Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary heightening the prospect of Hynes being named to play alongside Moses in the opening game of the series at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
That, of course, is contingent on both proving their fitness before then. Hynes sat out the Sharks’ win over Melbourne last Saturday night but he will be named to make his return on Tuesday, his comeback contingent on how he handles a week of training.
Moses is in a similar situation. He was expected to make this return on Sunday but there was speculation on Monday that his comeback may be delayed another week, which would jeopardise his hopes of playing in Origin I.
The Eels have badly missed their talismanic playmaker through the opening 10 rounds, slumping to 13th place on the ladder after losing three of their past four games.
They desperately need Moses back on the park but they also need to protect their most valuable asset, even if it leaves him with only 80 minutes to prove his fitness before Origin I.
With Cleary seemingly sidelined for the entire series, Moses and Hynes would appear the most appealing combination to take on the Maroons.
However, if one of the pair is unable to prove their fitness in time to convince Maguire they are ready for Origin, Jarome Luai and Matt Burton will move into the box seat to play in the halves.
Luai was dropped for the final game of last year’s series while Burton played two games for the Blues in 2022.
Maguire’s choice of halves pairing may determine the outcome of the series. The Blues have battled over the past two years to nail their sides for the opening game, leading to defeat and damaging their chances of beating Queensland.
Maguire needs to get his side right from the outset, hence his concern as he prepares for a fortnight which is likely to determine the make-up for his squad.
Magic Round could be just that for Maguire and the Blues if Hynes and Moses are able to return from injury and prove their fitness.
If not, Maguire will be forced to look elsewhere. Former NSW five-eighth Braith Anasta backed the Hynes-Moses combination but believes Burton is pushing to play pivot – the Bulldogs will face Canberra and St George Illawarra over the next fortnight.
“I am going with him for the time being,” Anasta said of Hynes on Fox League’s NRL360.
“I thought about Burton but I thought Hynes had earned the right to partner Moses. I have Burton as 18th man because I have a feeling they may pick him.”
RACE FOR NO.6 JERSEY
– Brent Read and David Riccio
Moses was among a select group of players who were invited to a meeting of spine players with Maguire earlier this season, an indication that he is at the forefront of the coach’s mind when it comes to the Origin series.
Cronulla’s Hynes was also at that meeting, while it is understood that Penrith star Jarome Luai, incumbent NSW No.6 Cody Walker and the Bulldogs’ Matt Burton join the pair in the mix for first crack at the Blues’ five-eighth spot.
Moses is the wildcard. The Parramatta star hasn’t played since injuring his foot against Manly in round three but resumed full training as the Eels prepare to face the Storm at Suncorp Stadium in Magic Round.
Moses was considered a serious contender to partner Cleary given he has experience at Origin level and has handled the occasion in the past.
His skills would seem to complement the Panthers superstar – Cleary would take control of the side, leaving Moses free to unleash his running game.
But now his chance could come in the No.7.
Moses has also shown his toughness time and time again, both in Origin and the NRL. He played his NSW debut with broken bones in his back and finished the game earlier this season against Manly despite breaking his foot in the opening half.
He has, however, given the other contenders a head start as he will have missed more than two months of football when he eventually makes his return against the Storm.
Hynes, in particular, has taken advantage of Moses’ absence to plant his flag in the ground when it comes to an Origin recall.
The Sharks playmaker has led his side to the top of the ladder but faces a defining few weeks of football where he shapes up against Burton, the Sydney Roosters, and then Luai.
After nine rounds, the Blues’ most intriguing battle has basically come down to five games over three weeks with Maguire watching closely.
Maguire has just two more rounds after this weekend before he names his team for Game I.
“The selection of our NSW five-eighth really comes down to the next three rounds,” Maguire said prior to Cleary’s injury.
“I won’t be making a decision until the completion of that final round.”
Maguire had already been given a painful lesson in not getting ahead of himself on Thursday night when Manly superstar Tom Trbojevic suffered another hamstring injury.
Trbojevic would likely have walked into the Blues side but now looks set to miss the entirety of the Origin series as he fights his way back from his latest setback.
Cleary is the latest – and possibly bigger – blow.
Maguire won’t be penning any names in permanent ink until he sees how the next three weeks play out. It isn’t just Hynes who has some crucial games over the coming weeks. While Moses will make his return opposite Munster, his final audition for Origin will come against the five-eighth who won man of the match in the final game of last year’s series – Cody Walker.
Walker has battled through a difficult period for Souths and concedes his form hasn’t been up to scratch. However, he has a strong relationship with Maguire and was part of the only NSW side to win a game in last year’s series.
Luai has also been a regular member of the Blues squad in recent years and has the advantage of his relationship with Cleary, but he may need a big fortnight to leap the other contenders.
Burton is the outsider, although his versatility may help him when it comes to selection in the wider squad. The Bulldogs five-eighth is equally at home in the centres and is likely to play some part in the series given his form for his club.
Originally published as State of Origin 2024 early mail: Jack Wighton won’t come out of rep retirement for injury-ravaged Blues
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