Stand-in NSW captain Robbie Farah has been ruled out for up to a month with a shoulder injury, putting veteran rake Michael Ennis in the frame for an Origin recall.
Wests Tigers doctor Peter Lorentzos announced on Thursday scans revealed a grade-three AC joint injury for Farah.
The Tigers skipper is not expected to play again before Blues coach Laurie Daley names his team on June 2 for Origin game two at the MCG on June 17.
"We're expecting him to miss two to four weeks but we're very hopeful that he'll be right for Origin two," said Lorentzos.
Hooker Farah suffered the injury when he was lifted and slammed to the ground by Queensland centre Justin Hodges during the first half of the opening game of the Origin series at ANZ Stadium on Wednesday.
There was no penalty called and the 31-year-old took a few moments to recover before bravely finishing out the match.
"He was terrific but that's what we've come to expect from anyone who wears a NSW shirt," Daley said of Farah's effort after the 11-10 loss to the Maroons.
Hodges was later cleared by the match review committee.
Should Farah not be right for game two, Cronulla's Ennis appears the man most likely to get the gig, with another candidate being 24-year-old Parramatta No.9 Nathan Peats.
But Ennis, 31, has the runs on the board, playing seven Origins with his last appearance for the Blues in 2011.
He could be one of several changes for the Blues with skipper Paul Gallen and winger Brett Morris expected to return from injuries for the Origin clash in Melbourne.
Morris is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a hamstring strain and is good chance of returning for Canterbury against St George-Illawarra following the Bulldogs' bye this week.
Gallen, who has been out with a hip injury, was sorely missed by the Blues in their error-ridden second half of game one when they squandered a 10-6 halftime lead.
"I'm going really well. I've been in full training, which is good," Gallen told 2KY on Thursday.
"I'll have a scrimmage session tonight with the boys which means there'll be a lot more contact involved.
"And I'm actually going for a scan this morning to just make sure things are healing really well.
"Fingers crossed I'll be out there in the next couple of weeks."
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