NSW debutant Wade Graham will fight for his State of Origin dream when he heads to the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night to fight a high-tackle charge.
Just one day after arriving with his Blues' teammates in Coffs Harbour, Graham will return to Sydney to try to overturn a high shot on North Queensland star Johnathan Thurston is Cronulla's NRL win on Monday night over the Cowboys.
The Sharks' back-rower was only penalised by lead referee Gerard Sutton, however NRL match review committee slapped him on Tuesday with a grade-one careless high tackle charge.
A base charge for such a high tackle draws 75 points, however a similar offence in the past 12 months, as well as 33 carryover points, means he will have to argue his case successfully to play.
"It's obviously a bit of a rollercoaster, the last 12 hours - first to get selected and now being charged," Graham said on Tuesday.
"So it's hard to process at the moment but, obviously, (in) 24 hours, we'll get through it - just take a breath now that we're in camp."
"Obviously, there's disappointment. We'll head back to Sydney now and fight it. Cronulla have been in contact already; they've been working with NSWRL and obviously me in fighting the charge."
Graham's legal counsel is likely to argue Thurston was slipping in the collision, while footage has also emerged that his first point of contact was with Thurston's arm.
The 25-year-old found some unlikely support from Queensland coach Kevin Walters.
"I really feel for Wade Graham if he is ruled out of Origin II. You play all your football trying to get to this level and, then, if it's taken away from him, well that's disappointing for him," he said.
"I'm sure the judiciary will look after it and do the right thing, whatever's got to be happening, whether he gets suspended or plays.
"For me, I'd like to see him fulfil his childhood dream and throw on that Blues jumper."
NSW coach Laurie Daley conceded it wasn't an ideal start to preparations for the must-win match on Wednesday week at Suncorp Stadium.
"It's not what you want but, at the end of the day, it is what it is. We can't control what's happened but he'll stay with us and we'll work out what he's going to do," he said.
"We'll give him the support that he needs and we'll move."
Daley said he was yet to decide whether to draft another player into camp, but did admit development players Bryce Cartwright and Jack Bird could be brought into the 17.
"It's a possibility," he said.
"I haven't had a chance to think about it but I'm sure this afternoon we'll come up with some sort of plan, whether we bring someone out or don't. We'll see how it unfolds."
In better news for the Blues, forward James Tamou escaped being sanctioned for an apparent shoulder charge on NSW teammate Andrew Fifita on Monday night in the same match.
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