Daley to give injured Blues every chance

NSW's injured State of Origin stars will be named for the Blues on Monday, as they aim to keep the same 17 for a whole series for the first time since 1996.

NSW State of Origin player Tyson Frizell

NSW State of Origin player Tyson Frizell will undergo rib and back scans on Monday. (AAP)

NSW coach Laurie Daley will give each of his injured State of Origin players a chance to prove their fitness when he on Monday morning names his side for next week's series decider.

Four Blues players will carry injuries into camp for Origin III - most worryingly lock Tyson Frizell, who will undergo scans on his ribs and back on Monday.

Frizell went off injured with a back complaint in St George Illawarra's 20-10 loss to Gold Coast in the NRL on Friday night, and he required pain-killing injections in his ribs to play Origin II.

Captain Boyd Cordner's calf is also still a concern given he is yet to start running again, however it's understood he will be given until far closer to game day to prove his fitness.

James Tedesco (ankle) will also enter the decider without having played in the NRL since the Game II loss, however it's understood the decision to rest him from Wests Tigers has been far more of a precaution.

Josh Dugan's corked thigh is also not considered anywhere near as concerning and it should only impact on his preparation early in the week.

Regardless though, it's believed Daley will name them all when his team is announced on Monday morning, as the Blues look to keep their same 17 in tact for a whole series for the first time since 1996.

Daley is also unlikely to be rushed into naming an overly-extended squad, and is expected to stick with the approach of bringing three additional players into camp as he has all series.

If Frizell is ruled out injured, uncapped lock Jack de Belin will be the most likely cover after having been named on the Blues' extended bench in the opening two games of the series.

Trent Merrin would likely appear the next in line as cover for Cordner, after he was a late call-up as 18th man for Game II when de Belin was served with a one-game suspension in the lead up.

Wade Graham would also be expected to move into the starting side from the bench if one of either Frizell or Cordner failed to take their place in the team.

Meanwhile Tom Trbojevic and Matt Moylan are again expected to feature as reserves who could cover for Tedesco or Dugan if their injuries worsened.

PREDICTED NSW SIDE: James Tedesco, Blake Ferguson, Josh Dugan, Jarryd Hayne, Brett Morris, James Maloney, Mitchell Pearce, Aaron Woods, Nathan Peats, Andrew Fifita, Josh Jackson, Boyd Cordner (capt), Tyson Frizell. Bench: David Klemmer, Wade Graham, Jake Trbojevic, Jack Bird.


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Source: AAP



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