NSW players Blake Ferguson, Josh Dugan say Darius Boyd’s centre switch could expose defensive weaknesses

THE BLUES right edge of Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan say Darius Boyd’s anticipated switch to left centre could expose the star full-back’s defensive weaknesses.

Blake Ferguson, Jack Bird and Josh Dugan during a NSW Blues team walk through at Leichhardt Oval. pic Mark Evans

THE Blues’ right edge of Blake Ferguson and Josh Dugan believe Darius Boyd’s anticipated switch to left centre could expose the star fullback’s defensive weaknesses.

Queensland coach Kevin Walters made wholesale changes to the side which was thumped 28-4 by NSW in game one, including the recall of Melbourne custodian Billy Slater.

It’s expected Slater will resume his role as Maroons fullback, which will shift Boyd to left centre with debutant Valentine Holmes to play outside him on the wing.

Ferguson said he was surprised to see Walters had opted for a new left side combination and warned defending out of position could prove problematic.

Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson talk during a New South Wales Blues State of Origin training session.

“I thought [Will] Chambers did a good job when he played against us a couple of weeks ago and I’ve always seen Darius [Boyd] as a winger when Billy is playing for Queensland,” the Blues winger said.

“It’s more about the defence side of it ... Darius [Boyd] is lucky enough to be one of those fullbacks that defends in the line fair. He’s played on the wing before, it’s more the decision-making.”

“I think it will be a little bit hard to go from wing centre and fullback ... You get more decisions to make. Your decisions are probably the hardest.”

Dragons fullback Dugan made a similar transition to Boyd at the representative level in 2014 when he was moved to centre for the Blues and he says the hardest thing for Broncos fullback will be the extra workload on the “front line”.

“It was pretty easy for me in 2014 [series] because I was playing club there,’ Dugan said.

“But every know and then you do need a breather from fullback coming into the front line, it is a different sort of fitness, just getting up and down from the ground and having to put your head in certain spots to make those tackles.”