State of Origin 2025: Relief for Blues as Crichton dodges suspension, Jacob Saifiti ruled out
Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton has dodged suspension for a high shot on the eve of Origin selection, but Laurie Daley faces a new quandary as a prop pulls out of Game 1 due to injury.
NRL
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NSW Origin hopeful Jacob Saifiti is expected to be ruled out of contention after picking up a calf injury in Newcastle’s loss to Parramatta.
Saifiti was considered a near certainty to start off the bench for NSW in Origin I but an ongoing calf problem will make him unavailable. Newcastle officials expect Saifiti to be sidelined for multiple weeks.
The 29-year-old played the last of his two Origin games in 2023. He was called in to make his Origin debut in 2022 after Jordan McLean was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The injury blow comes as Stephen Crichton walks a match review tightrope after escaping with a $3,000 fine for his high shot on Roosters prop Lindsay Collins on Friday night.
Slapped with a grade one dangerous contact charge by the NRL match review committee, the fine for an early guilty plea will allow the champion centre to avoid being suspended ahead of his anticipated NSW selection.
However, due to the high shot being the Bulldogs captain’s third offence, he would miss two weeks if he fights the charge and loses at the judiciary.
It places Crichton on tenterhooks for the remainder of the season with any charge likely to lead to suspension.
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