By Chris De Silva and Emily Patterson
New South Wales hopes of clinging to their home state shield have been hit hard by Jack Wighton losing the second game after taking on COVID-19.
Wighton was one of the best of the blues at the start of the series, scoring a try after starting in the centers alongside Kotoni Staggs.
“The five-eighth of the Raiders, Jack Wighton, has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Knights due to COVID protocols,” a Raiders statement read Friday night.
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Wighton will follow the protocols back to the COVID game once his isolation is completed next week. “
Jack Wighton marks the first attempt at the State of Origin 2022 series. (Getty)
With the second game in the series just nine days away, Blues coach Brad Fittler confirmed that Wighton would not be fit enough to play.
Despite Wighton’s imminent absence, Fittler revealed that Souths star Latrell Mitchell would not be considered for the second game.
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“Latrell is not available,” he told Nine’s NRL coverage.
“Speaking to South Sydney earlier in the week, since he had just returned from America and when he returned to Australia he also had COVID-19, so I think he was pretty collapsed. He just had a proper session. So Latrell will not be available “.
Sharks destroying Siosifa Talakai ball could join Fittler for second game (Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images)
Stephen Crichton, who was on the team for the opening of the series, could take Wighton’s place in the starting lineup alongside Staggs, who has overcome a shoulder problem.
Bulldogs star Matt Burton and Sharks winger Siosifa Talakai could also join the team, and Fittler admitted Talakai was on his radar.
“The beauty of Talakai is that it started as a back row and is kind of a rowing player center and does a great job,” Fittler told Nine’s Macca’s Golden Point of Talakai’s Origin.
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“At the start of the season he was in the middle of the field, so we kept that in mind for the first game. So we will follow him very closely.”
Fittler will name his blue team for the second game on Sunday evening, after the end of the round.
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