Moses or Luai: five-eighth speculation remains for NSW
Parramatta coach Jason Ryles says Mitch Moses could work at five-eighth for NSW, with Nathan Cleary's halves partner one of several key decisions looming for Laurie Daley.
Daley has just 11 days until naming his Blues team for the State of Origin series opener at Suncorp Stadium on May 28, with relatively few players locked in.
NSW's historic win in the series decider last year in Brisbane appeared to set the Blues up long-term, but Michael Maguire's exit as coach has clouded matters.
Nathan Cleary's return to full fitness, Penrith's early-season woes, injury concerns in the backs and Jake Trbojevic's status as captain has also complicated things.
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While Cleary is almost certain to wear the No.7 jersey, who will partner him is a point of contention.
The continuity candidate would be Jarome Luai, who played all three games at five-eighth in last year's 2-1 series win and with Cleary for a decade at Penrith before moving to Wests Tigers in 2025.
However, Moses has single-handedly made the Eels a formidable force since his return from a foot injury last month and has proven himself at Origin level when Cleary was unavailable.
The 30-year-old has arguably been the dominant halfback in every game he has played since moving to Parramatta in 2018.
But Moses' current club coach says he thought the star No.7 would be happy to switch to five-eighth if it meant pulling on the Blues jersey again.
"I think Mitchell (Moses) would be happy to play wherever they put him in a representative team," Ryles said on Wednesday.
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"I think it means a fair bit to him so I don't think it would be an issue if he was selected there."
The other spine question for NSW is whether Daley will stick with Penrith's Dylan Edwards or return to Origin stalwart James Tedesco, with the Roosters No.1 replaced by Edwards after the game-one loss last year.
Edwards missed four matches with a groin injury early in the season and the Panthers sit 15th on the ladder, while Tedesco has been close to the NRL's best.
Dylan Edwards turns on the speed to avoid a James Tedesco tackle back in 2023. (James Gourley/AAP PHOTOS)
Other questions in the NSW backs revolve around who will join Stephen Crichton in the centres, with Manly's Tom Trbojevic and Souths' Latrell Mitchell seen as the likely candidates.
Both players have struggled with injury this season but have put in several dominant performances at Origin level.
On the wing, 2024's incumbents Brian To'o and Zac Lomax are both working their way back from injury, with the Penrith winger named to face North Queensland on Saturday.
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Ryles said that Lomax was recovering well but would not be ready for the Eels clash with the Dolphins on Thursday night.
"We're probably having to hold him back a little bit so we're aiming for next week but we'll just have to wait and see," Ryles said.
The other bolter for NSW selection on the wing is Jacob Kiraz, who scored a hat-trick for Canterbury in their Magic Round win over Gold Coast.
In the forwards, the pressing question is whether Daley will stick with 2024 captain Jake Trbojevic or hand a debut to the Tigers' breakout star Terrell May.
Trbojevic only played 85 of a possible 240 Origin minutes in 2024 and May has drawn numerous headlines for his barnstorming start to the 2025 season.
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