State of Origin 2022: Who will NSW Blues choose at centre for Game 3 decider

Matt Burton and Stephen Crichton got the job done for NSW in Game II, but will they keep their spots with the series on the line?

It’s the $64,000 question that could decide this year’s State of Origin series – should New South Wales coach Brad Fittler pick and stick with the centres who starred in Perth, or does he give them the flick for a more experienced duo for the daunting decider in Brisbane?

Jack Wighton was the Blues’ best in Game One but missed the big win out west after he contracted Covid-19.

That opened the door for Matt Burton to make his Origin debut, and he quickly became the hero in headgear with a try and an assist as his left boot tormented Queensland’s back three.

Then there’s Stephen Crichton who started the series opener on the bench but graduated to right centre and was more than solid in Perth.

But the wildcard is Latrell Mitchell. He hasn’t played since Round 5 but makes his long-awaited return at Accor Stadium tonight. He may be underdone, but the Maroons will still be having nightmares from last year’s series.

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Who should the Blues pick at centre for Origin III?

“I think we need to watch Latrell and see how he goes,” former Blues centre Ryan Girdler told the NCA NewsWire.

“I’d be leaning towards the guys who have already played in the series. I know Jack is a great left-side player, but Matty did such a good job there last week so I’d be leaning towards the same guys that got the job done in Perth.

“I’d probably find a spot for Jack somewhere on the bench. It’d be hard to change a side that was so successful.”

Ask any coach and they’ll tell you they’d rather be in a position where they’re spoiled for choice rather than having to scramble to patch a team together.

But the downside is that you will be ridiculed if you make the wrong choice and end up losing the series.

Andrew Johns was the last halfback to lead the Blues to a win in a decider in Brisbane in 2005, and he believes Burton must play given he is now well and truly inside the heads of Queensland’s back three.

“Matt Burton’s got the gift where he’s able to be in the right place at the right time. Sometimes you can’t coach these things. If you have a look at that game, a lot of the big moments, he’s in them,” Johns said on the Freddy and the Eighth show.

Speaking on the same program, Fittler praised Burton for overcoming a tough start at the Bulldogs after the dizzying heights of winning a premiership with Penrith at left centre.

“For a young kid, he didn’t get overwhelmed,” the NSW coach said.

“And you can because the week gets a lot.

“The first month or so at Canterbury, I think he was a bit overwhelmed. I think what he’s done is he’s gotten tough with it. If anything, that performance was on the back of a couple of tough months at Canterbury and just coming through that.”

Matt Burton was one of the Blues’ best in Game two. Picture: Getty Images.

But Jack Wighton starred at left centre in Game I … so who gets the jersey? Picture: Getty Images.

The man himself is keeping a level head before the teams are named at the end of the round.

“I haven’t spoken or thought about it,” Burton told NCA NewsWire.

“My main focus is playing good footy for the club this weekend and just keep working hard and then hopefully I’ll get another call for game three.”

Girdler has seen some terrific performances by NSW centres, but he can’t remember one as dominant as Burton’s.

“We all see the brilliant stuff like the pick-up for the first try, the pass for To’o or the booming kicks, but it’s the little parts of his game that go unnoticed,” the former Panther said.

“His runs coming out of trouble were so crucial and I really appreciated that. When the game was in the balance, he was making a real impact with some tough plays. He’s a brilliant talent who will be in that arena for a long time.”

While Burton appears a certain starter on the left, his partner on the other side of the field isn’t as secure.

Crichton was solid but did come up with a crucial defensive miss that led to a Cameron Munster try, and we still haven’t seen his best in attack.

But Girdler says he deserves another shot and doesn’t think Wighton should be forced to play out of position on the right.

Given the form of Wighton and Burton, Crichton seems the most likely to miss out. But how would the others go at right centre after starring on the left side? Picture: Getty Images.

“He only had that one missed tackle on Ponga for that try, but other than that, his game was quite flawless,” Girdler said.

“He’s built some combinations with Tupou and the guys around him so I don’t see a great need to rush Jack in on a side he’s not used to playing.

“Jack’s the sort of guy who could play anywhere in this team and you know he’d do the job.

“Jack has probably played close to 10 Origins and he’s a leader at his club so he can impact this team in a number of ways.”

Fittler has been known to make some left-field selections, so it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see Mitchell’s name on the team sheet after just one game back from his rehab stint in the States to work on his hamstring.

“I’d pick him. He’s too good a player. I’m not going to be disappointed if they don’t, but if I was him (Freddy), I’d pick him,” South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou said.

“It’s not up to me now. He’s fit to play so he’ll go out there and he’ll show what he’s able to do and then it’ll be up to Freddy and the NSW selectors to decide whether they want him in the team.”

Latrell Mitchell starred for the Blues in 2021, but has not played any footy in more than 11 weeks ahead of his Round 16 return. Picture: Getty Images.

The other players in the conversation have a higher work rate compared to Mitchell when they play in the centres. They all have more runs and make more metres, but none of them have his ability to change a game with a single carry.

His try-scoring and tackle-breaking stats blow the rest out of the water, but Girdler has warned Fittler about rushing back his underdone star.

“I’m just not sure it’s fair on Latrell,” he said.

“There’s always so much expectation put on him every time he plays. He’s missed the first two games of the series, so I’m not sure it’s fair to bring him back for a decider in Queensland.

“I would have liked to have seen him have a couple of games under his belt. Sometimes it’s just not meant to be.

“I think if we were really struggling and people were out of form then you could roll the dice, but I’m not sure there’s value in that when guys like Wighton and Burton are available for a spot that Latrell could fill.

“It doesn’t make sense to me to disregard those guys after what they’ve done to bring in a guy that hasn’t played footy in three months and expect him to have an immediate impact in a volatile environment.”