Fittler, Johns call for Blues youth

NSW greats Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler have called for Blues coach Laurie Daley to opt for youth when he selects his State of Origin side.

New South Wales Blues coach Laurie Daley

Pleas have been made to Blues coach Laurie Daley to inject youth into his State of Origin pack. (AAP)

NSW greats Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler have made last-minute pleas to Blues coach Laurie Daley to inject youth into his side for the State of Origin series.

Daley names his team for Origin I on Monday and is expected to be largely conservative in his selections, sticking with players who donned they sky blue in last year's losing series.

But in speaking on Channel Nine's Sunday Footy Show, Fittler and Johns said the Blues needed some youthful enthusiasm up front, naming Tyson Frizell, Tyrone Peachey and Bryce Cartwright as among the in-form youngsters they would like to see make their NSW debuts.

"A lot of those players (likely to be picked) have been there before," Fittler said.

"If I was to pick a side (Jake) Trbojevic, (Jack) Bird (James) Roberts, (Blake) Ferguson, Cartwright, Peachey, (Andrew) Fifita, Frizell, those are the sort of players I would like to show State of Origin to.

"The greatest part when I came back in `04, there were a lot of young players there and they gave me youth, they were into it.

"That same group of players, what is their motivation to do what they did two years ago? Because that was an unbelievable effort."

Johns said Cartwright and Peachey could be the difference off the bench as NSW chance just their second series win in 11 years.

"I would have Cordner (as a back-rower) on my left, my right I would go with Frizell, I would have Cartwright off the bench, I would have Peachey off the bench. It is just a point of difference," he said.

"Cartwright provides that offload and Peachey off the bench, with his speed and agility playing off those offloads could terrorise Queensland."

Johns dismissed Cartwright's defence as a concern.

"The 10 days leading into the game you can get his technique right, you can pick that up," he said.

Possible NSW side: Matt Moylan, Blake Ferguson, Josh Dugan, Michael Jennings, Josh Mansour, James Maloney, Adam Reynolds, Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah, Paul Gallen, Boyd Cordner, Beau Scott, Greg Bird.

Interchange: James Tamou, David Klemmer, Josh Jackson, Bryce Cartwright/Jack Bird.


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Source: AAP


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