‘Annoys the sh*t out of me’: Smith fires up at NSW’s bold Origin halfback call

Roosters star Brandon Smith has gone into bat for a former teammate as speculation over NSW’s major selection dilemma intensifies.

Roosters star Brandon Smith has backed former teammate Nicho Hynes to land NSW’s No. 7 jersey, bristling at suggestions Mitchell Moses could get the Blues halfback gig.

Hynes is second on the Dally M Medal leaderboard and has the Cronulla Sharks sitting pretty a game clear on top of the NRL ladder.

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Moses has been sidelined for two months with a fractured foot and while Parramatta’s finals chances are all but dead, he could still be set to play Origin.

Moses played in NSW’s win in the Game 3 dead rubber in last year’s Origin series — Brad Fittler’s last game as Blues coach.

The Eels halfback impressed on that occasion and new NSW coach Michael Maguire could well give him every chance to play in the series opener.

Moses won’t play at Magic Round this weekend and is in doubt for Parramatta’s Round 12 clash against the Rabbitohs, the final match before Origin Game 1 in Sydney.

With Nathan Cleary (hamstring) and Adam Reynolds (bicep) out for the series with long-term injuries, Maguire will be hoping Moses can be available, while Jarome Luai and Matt Burton are options at five-eighth.

Watch Brandon Smith’s thoughts on NSW’s halfback dilemma in the video above

Nicho Hynes and Brandon Smith.

But Roosters hooker Brandon Smith firmly believes Hynes should be picked over Moses and fumed at reports earlier in the week that Moses was the front-runner for the jersey.

“Nicho has been one of the best in the comp for the last three years, he has won a Dally M, he is playing unreal footy at the moment,” Smith told The Bye Round podcast.

“I don’t understand why they are off him. He has played like 10 minutes in an Origin … at centre. I think he will relish the big game.

“He is a winner. His side is on top of the table. It just pisses me off a little bit.”

“I think he is the best halfback there is on offer,” Smith said.

“Obviously Cleary is the No. 1 halfback in the comp but he is out for eight weeks. It just annoys the sh*t out of me.”

Mitchell Moses is still recovering from a foot injury. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Hynes and Smith played together at the Melbourne Storm and won a premiership together in 2020 — a game Hynes wasn’t required to come off the bench.

Winning a premiership without getting on the field in the grand final, getting played out of position in the centres by Fittler on Origin debut, and Cronulla’s recent finals record means the jury is still out on Hynes in big games.

But in recent days it appears increasingly likely Moses won’t recover from his foot injury in time to be in the selection frame.

Eels coach Brad Arthur said this week: “I don’t pick the team, but if he doesn’t play against Souths, I can’t see how he goes into Origin without having a played a game.

“That’s not fair on him, and that’s not fair on NSW.”

State of Origin Game 1 is on Wednesday June 5 in Sydney at Accor Stadium.