State of Origin selections thrown into chaos by injuries to Nathan Cleary, Tom Trbojevic and back-up options

One thing Michael Maguire assured when he took over the role as New South Wales head coach was that past Origin performances would count for little when selecting the 2024 team.

Not being hamstrung by the past is one of the great benefits of starting a new regime, but Maguire has instead been hamstrung by hamstrings. And calves. And knees. And ankles.

All told, it’s been a horrid start to 2024 for State of Origin hopefuls and incumbents, making the teams for Game I on June 5 something of a mystery.

Billy Slater has a couple of headaches coming up before naming his team in two weeks’ time, but that’s nothing compared to the Blues’ backline woes, with Nathan Cleary and Tom Trbojevic the latest superstars struck down.

So much of the discussion to start the season seemed to be leaning towards nudging fullback and captain James Tedesco out of the NSW team in favour of Penrith custodian Dylan Edwards.

And while Edwards has done nothing but prove his brilliance through the first 10 rounds, Tedesco has risen along with his Roosters this year and all but ensured he will be safe.

On the Queensland side, it’s looking a little spicy.

AJ Brimson is the incumbent after Reece Walsh missed the 2023 dead rubber through suspension.

Walsh was brilliant in his first two rep games last year and as the sparkplug that fired the Broncos to the grand final, but his start to 2024 has as many rocks as it has diamonds and there was a case to be made for dropping the electric 21-year-old based solely on his form for the Broncos.

He sits fourth in the league in terms of the most handling errors, according to NRL.com, and his decision making has been poor at times, even if he has mixed in his usual moments of brilliance as well.

But the conversation is basically moot because any chance of him being left out disappeared when Brimson hobbled off with a groin injury during the Titans’ win over North Queensland on the weekend.

Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga was already gone with a foot injury, so Slater will pick no doubt pick Walsh and try to get him back on the right side of the rocks vs diamonds equation.