Mitchell Moses left NSW Blues training on Monday morning with a leg injury and was immediately sent for scans, throwing the Game 1 spine into doubt 48 hours from kick-off at Accor Stadium on Wednesday night. Matt Burton, the Bulldogs five-eighth dropped from the original Blues 20-man squad, has been placed on standby pending NRL approval. Ethan Strange, the Roosters utility, sits in the frame to start at five-eighth alongside Nathan Cleary if Moses is ruled out, with Burton sliding onto the six-man bench. The final call lands Tuesday after the scan results return.
What Happened at Training
Moses pulled up during a kicking drill at the Blues' Central Coast base on Monday morning, walking from the field favouring the back of his leg. Laurie Daley confirmed at the post-session media doorstop that the playmaker had been sent straight to the hospital for an MRI. The early reads, from team trainers on the scene, point to a hamstring complaint rather than a calf, which would carry a two-to-three-week recovery window if confirmed and rule him out of all three Origin matches. A milder grading would leave Game 2 and Game 3 in play. The 31-year-old Eels halfback had been paired with Cleary in the new halves combination since camp opened last Wednesday and was named to start at five-eighth in the Game 1 team published last Monday.
Strange the Internal Promotion, Burton the External Cover
Ethan Strange was the Roosters utility named in the original Blues squad as one of the three reserves. The 22-year-old was expected to debut off the bench, having played for the Roosters in the Magic Round win at Suncorp. With Moses out, Strange is the natural internal promotion to five-eighth, with the Blues' bench unchanged and the spine still anchored by Tedesco at fullback. Matt Burton is the alternative path. The 26-year-old Bulldogs five-eighth was overlooked in the original squad but has been on standby all camp. The NRL must approve any addition to a Blues 17 outside the 20-man squad, with the final-team naming on Tuesday morning the formal deadline. The Maroons are also dealing with a fitness watch. Cameron Munster sat out training on Sunday in Brisbane with general soreness, replaced in his five-eighth slot by Broncos playmaker Ezra Mam.
Where the Markets Land
Game 1 has shortened on Queensland on the Moses news. The Blues went around at $1.62 last week with the line at -3.5. By Monday morning the head-to-head had drifted across our reviewed bookmakers dabble, Ladbrokes and Picklebet, with Queensland firming and the line trimming on NSW. If Moses is confirmed out and Strange named, expect the line to compress again on Tuesday. Cleary, the favourite for the Wally Lewis Medal, holds his price. Munster has come into single figures, with the rest-day note from Brisbane priced in. First-tryscorer markets stay stable. Anytime tryscorer markets on the Maroons' Walker and Cobbo also hold. The Tuesday team naming will be the next price-moving moment. Series odds have moved fractionally on the assumption Moses misses one or two of the three games. Full Origin lead-up coverage via ABC Sport.