NSW has received a massive blow before the second home state, with storm center Jack Wighton being ruled out of his crucial clash with COVID-19.
Key points:
- New South Wales center Jack Wighton has tested positive for COVID and will miss State of Origin II
- The Blues are expected to return to Matt Burton of Canterbury or Stephen Crichton of Penrith to start from the center left.
- Queensland could be forced to change after Cowboys blockade Reuben Cotter suffered hamstring injury
The Canberra player will miss the Raiders’ clash with Newcastle on Sunday after contracting the virus, which forces him to spend seven days in solitary confinement.
“Jack Wighton, the fifth-eighth of the Raiders, has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Knights due to COVID protocols,” the club announced on Friday afternoon.
“Wighton will follow the protocols back to the COVID game once his isolation is completed next week.”
Coach Brad Fittler will call on his Blues line-up with NSW on Sunday to claim victory in Perth next Sunday after Queensland won the series opener in Sydney.
Wighton was a sure standout in his 16-10 loss.
They are set to leave Sydney for Perth on Monday to begin preparations and Wighton could join the team over the weekend, however, it would be a huge bet if he were about to play for Origin.
Wighton was one of the best in New South Wales in the opening game of the series. (Getty: Mark Kolbe)
Wighton was transferred from his usual five-eighth role to the centers to cover the loss of injured stars Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic.
Mitchell has recovered from his hamstring injury, but has yet to play an NRL game.
The door is open for Stephen Crichton of Penrith, who came off the bench in Sydney, to start in the center left in Wighton’s relief with Matt Burton of Canterbury, Campbell Graham of South Sydney and Siosifa Talakai of Cronulla also in contention.
Burton’s existing combination with Blues duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o, with whom he won a top spot in the Panthers last year, could be an advantage in his favor.
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Queensland could be forced to change their account after the Cowboys’ block, Reuben Cotter, was later torn from his team’s victory over Manly due to hamstring strain.
Cotter went down in the warm-up and is in doubt for Origin II with candidates Jai Arrow and Patrick Carrigan replacing the injured North Queenslander in the starting line-up.
Arrow, the 18th player in Sydney, could be a direct replacement for Cotter, who impressed in his debut with Origin while playing 80 minutes, making 51 tackles and running 134 yards.
If Carrigan was moved to the 13th jersey, Tom Flegler of Brisbane could be his replacement on the bench for his second appearance at the Origin after making his debut with last year’s dead rubber.
AAP / ABC