NSW team for State of Origin 3: Jack Wighton snubbed, Jordan McLean called up for Payne Haas

Leaving Jack Wighton out of their 17 for next week’s Origin decider has left the Blues exposed in the fiercest pressure cooker cauldron rugby league can offer, fears one former champion.

Brad Fittler has found his centre pairing for Suncorp.

Former NSW centre Ryan Girdler has warned the Blues will miss Jack Wighton’s experience and physicality in the pressure cooker that is the Origin cauldron during next week’s decider at Suncorp Stadium.

The best player for the Blues in game one, Wighton succumbed to Covid for game two and was snubbed for game three with Cronulla wrecking ball Siosifa Talakai favoured on the bench.

Girdler, who still holds a host of individual Origin records, including most points in a game (32), most points in a series (52) and equal most tries (five) in a series, believes Wighton’s unforgiving approach and experience at Suncorp Stadium would have given NSW an edge.

“His experience, especially in a decider at Suncorp. He has played three Origins there already and he‘s one of the more experienced players at club level too, Jack,” Girdler said.

“He is also such a physical presence and you just know what you are going to get.

“He is great with the little things, like kick-chase, he is super fit, he is good at bringing the ball out of his own end, you‘ll miss all of those things.”

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Blues great Ryan Girdler believes NSW will miss Jack Wighton’s physicality. Picture: Getty

But Girdler believes for the sake of the Blues preparations and continuity, Fittler made the right choice to stick with the same side that levelled the series in Perth.

“Jack was really good in game one but we still lost,” Girdler said.

“They wanted to make sure they went in with guys that had confidence and momentum.

“That‘s State of Origin, it’s bloody hard to get in and when you do you have to make sure you are part of the winning squad otherwise your position is always on the line. It is cut throat.”

Sticking with Talakai, who only played 17 minutes in Origin II, on bench could also be a tactical decision given powerhouse forward Payne Haas is out of the decider with a shoulder injury.

Girdler believes having Talakai in the 17 gives Fittler more options to rotate his forwards if Jordan McLean, who is set to debut at prop, struggles to keep up with the frantic pace of Origin.

“I thought Jack might have push for a spot on the bench over Talakai … but with Haas out, Jordan (McLean) hasn‘t got the experience at that level like Payne does, so who knows how many minutes Jordan can get out before getting gassed,” Girdler said.

“Having another big body on the bench like Talakai, that would have contributed.”

On Monday, Fittler revealed Wighton was ‘considered’ for a starting spot at left centre but the coach opted to keep Matt Burton, who made a memorable debut for the Blues in game two.

Ryan Girdler remains the holder for a range of Origin records after a stellar career with the Blues.

Girdler backed the Burton decision and to keep Penrith’s Stephen Crichton at right centre given Wighton plays on the left side of the field in club land.

“The first thing you take is a defensive mindset to Queensland but you also need to be aware that we need to score some points up there,” Girder said.

“I think the attacking combination on the left side that Burton has with Jarome Luai and that familiarity he has with the Penrith guys is huge.

“And getting him involved in the kicking and how they made the Maroons back three nervous with the huge kicks, forcing errors.

“If you have Matt Burton on the field and he is making guys uncomfortable, that‘s a huge advantage for the Blues.”

FREDDY SHUTS DOWN SNUBBED WIGHTON SPECULATION

- Fatima Kdouh

Brad Fittler has shutdown any speculation Jack Wighton could be a late inclusion in game three, as the NSW coach revealed both Matt Burton and Siosifa Talakai ‘offered more’ to the Blues in the decider.

“I don’t want to outsmart myself,” Fittler said when asked if he was playing ‘mind games’ by selecting the Canberra playmaker as 18th man.

Wighton, who was in line to snare a bench spot ahead of Cronulla forward Talakai, will only be injected into the side through a change forced by injury or Covid-19.

“I don’t think (there will be late changes), we will wait and see but we’ve still got nine days to go, we are under Covid protocols and the way we train, you can always get injuries. The good thing is he can play anywhere if need be,” Fittler said.

Jack Wighton has missed out on a spot in the Blues 17 for Game 3. Picture: Getty Images

Playing at left centre, Wighton was the best Blues player in game one but missed NSW’s emphatic 44-12 win over Queensland in Perth due to Covid-19.

Wighton’s utility value – he can play in the halves, centre, fullback and in the backrow – wasn‘t enough to beat Talakai to the bench. Talakai can also be used at centre or in the forwards.

“That was a tough one, I think Sifa (Talakai) … the versatility he gives us on the bench was the reason why we went with Sifa instead of Jack,” Fittler said.

“But if he is our 18th player it means that there are 17 other guys playing pretty good to be in front of him.”

Fittler conceded his young centre pairing of Burton and Penrith’s Stephen Crichton “were vulnerable at times” in game two.

Burton made an impressive debut at left centre in Perth, while Crichton has struggled for impact on the right side this series and has made some contentious reads in defence.

Wighton had been considered for a starting spot at centre, but only on the left, which is where he plays at club football.

But Burton’s ability to trouble Queensland’s back three with his huge torpedo bombs helped give him the edge over Wighton.

“We considered it (playing Wighton at left centre), I think what Matt did in the second game, he offered a little bit more,” Fittler said.

“What Jack brings is very different to what Matt brings … but maybe in hindsight, who knows what is going to happen but at the end of the day, we sat down and that is the way we went.”

Jordan McLean has been called into the starting line-up, to replace the injured Payne Haas. Picture: Getty Images

South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell, who missed the first two games with a hamstring injury, ruled himself out of the battle for a centre spot on the weekend and Fittler believes that decision has helped the Blues avoid a media circus in the lead up to the decider.

“When I thought about it, it was the smartest thing to happen. It would have been a couple of days of torture answering questions about Latrell and the other players (who missed out),” Fittler said.

North Queensland forward and ‘unsung’ hero Jordan McLean will debut at starting prop, as Payne Haas’ replacement, alongside Jake Trbojevic up front.

Fittler said McLean’s club form helped get him the nod over Reagan Campbell-Gillard given Parramatta’s patchy form.

“It’s a real shame … Parramatta are a funny team at the moment, but I don’t think it‘s because of him. I think with what Jordan offers at the moment, his club form is a bit stronger,” Fittler said.

Losing noted metre eater Haas to a shoulder injury will force Fittler to rethink his bench rotation strategy at Suncorp Stadium.

“I’m sure we will have to look at that. Whenever he (Haas) is in the team, he gives you the luxury of playing longer. He just goes for so long, we’ll have a look at how we’ll be most effective,” Fittler said.

“(Haas) is a huge loss, he has been part of our group for five years. He has been carrying a few injury for a while. He hurt his ankle in the last game (Origin) and has been carrying shoulder injuries. He needs a rest.”

Fittler has also retained Api Koroisau and Damien Cook after giving the Blues a one-two punch from dummy half in Origin II.

Part of Fittler’s preparation in readiness to step into the Origin cauldron will be another meeting with referees boss Jared Maxwell.

Fittler secretly met with Maxwell after Queensland successfully slowed down the ruck in the series opener in Sydney.

That meeting paid dividends for the Blues in Perth, where NSW was able to level the series.

“We’ll do what every coach does and put in our due diligence, I’ll hate not to do my job,” Fittler said.

Originally published as NSW team for State of Origin 3: Jack Wighton snubbed, Jordan McLean called up for Payne Haas