Andrew Johns has given a damning assessment of Bulldogs playmaker Trent Hodkinson's NSW audition as Blues coach Laurie Daley prepares to name his halves for the State of Origin opener.
Daley has been freely tipped to unite Hodkinson with a recalled Mitchell Pearce, played out of position at five eighth, despite the efforts of James Maloney in the Sydney Roosters' 24-10 win over Canterbury on Friday night.
Pearce and Maloney combined brilliantly as the Roosters overwhelmed the Bulldogs' incumbent NSW halves Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds.
Halfback great Johns was unimpressed by Hodkinson, even suggesting a missed tackle ahead of Roosters fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's first half try showed the Dogs No.7 was still battling knee problems that disrupted his 2014 NRL season.
"If you have lower leg problems you have no drive in defence," Johns told Channel Nine's The Footy Show.
"Normally he is a rock solid defender and that was a really poor miss."
Co-host Brad Fittler added: "That tackle stood out to everyone and I don't think he had any runs at all.
"The fact that he didn't run the ball at all hurt his chances."
Fittler backed Maloney to partner Pearce in the NSW halves.
"He's been really steady. That is what Laurie is looking for, someone to steer the ship around."
However, Daley said he walked away from the match without changing his mind about his NSW halves, and that appears to throw a lifeline to Hodkinson's Blues hopes.
Asked if he left the game with the same NSW halves in mind, Daley told Triple M radio: "Yeah, I did.
"For me, I just needed a bit of confirmation that it was the right way to go.
"But I am confident that pairing will pull on that shirt and do their job with pride.
"I know regardless of what decision I was going with there would be people who would support it and others critical of it.
"But in saying that I know the pairing that we do have will do a fantastic job."
Pearce is in line to chime into his sixth different NSW halves pairing since 2010.
NSW has not had the same halves pairing in consecutive Origin series since 1993-94.
But Pearce was not reading too much into the headlines.
"I haven't played five-eighth since I was a kid in schoolboy stuff but if I get picked I would be happy to play anywhere," he said.
"Jimmy (Maloney) and I have a good combination there.
"But I don't want to comment on selections."
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