Cordner set for 80-minute Origin effort

NSW skipper Boyd Cordner is expecting to play the full 80 minutes of Wednesday's State of Origin opener at Suncorp Stadium.

Boyd Cordner

NSW skipper Boyd Cordner is expecting to play the full 80 minutes of the State of Origin opener. (AAP)

NSW skipper Boyd Cordner is set for an ironman effort in State of Origin I as he revealed he was planning to play the whole match against Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.

Intrigue has surrounded how coach Laurie Daley will handle his forward rotation given he has two star left-edge back-rowers in his arsenal in Cordner and Cronulla's Wade Graham.

Graham will start from the bench but is still expected to play big minutes and while it was expected he and Cordner would eat into each other's minutes, the newly appointed Blues captain said that wasn't necessarily the case.

"That'll be the plan," Cornder said, when asked if he will play the whole game.

"With Wade on the bench, he's going to have to play a lot of minutes. He's too good a player not to."

Cordner said he was expecting to be shuffled into the lock position and the middle third when Daley decides to inject Graham into the game.

Graham, 26, was unlucky not to be selected in the run-on side given his brilliant start to the NRL season and having been a key part of Cronulla's premiership win last year.

As well as being a feared defender, Graham possesses a deft kicking game, can ball play and has a ready-made combination with Sharks teammate James Maloney, who will sit on NSW's left edge.

"Whatever Laurie has planned for me, whether it's in the middle for a bit or staying on the left edge, I'm easy," Cordner said.

"As long as I'm out there."


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world