State of Origin game II: Blues coach Laurie Daley brings in Casey McLean and Mark Nawaqanitawase

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

NSW coach Laurie Daley explains the selection of rising Kiwis star Casey McLean.

Game II of the State of Origin series will take place at the MCG on June 17.

Blues coach Laurie Daley will start 20-year-old Kiwi Casey McLean, with former Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase added to the bench.

Billy Slater has recalled Reece Walsh to the Queensland bench for game two.

Blues coach Laurie Daley has named former Wallaby Mark Nawaqanitawase in his Origin II squad after Stephen Crichton was ruled out injured.

Crichton was originally named in Daley’s team on Monday afternoon, but an ongoing shoulder injury has sidelined him for game two in Melbourne on June 17.

“After the game last night, so around 7pm I spoke to Critter [Crichton], and he’s been carrying an AC joint injury, and he’s a bit banged up, so he wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of training, and in particular contact [training], which is always a concern,” Daley said.

Roosters winger Nawaqanitawase will be in jersey 19 as outside back cover for NSW as they attempt to wrap up the series at the MCG.

Daley said picking Nawaqanitawase was a no-brainer, following his performance for the Kangaroos last year and hat trick for the Roosters against the Raiders on Friday night.

“I relayed the message and he was very excited, so they’re always good phone calls to have,” Daley said.

Rising Kiwis star Casey McLean will start game two for NSW.

“Mark played for Australia last year, and has got a good rapport with the guys, and I know how much he wants to play for NSW. So, yeah, it was an easy decision for us.”

Penrith and Kiwis centre Casey McLean – who played 23 minutes in the Origin I victory after Tolu Koula’s concussion – will replace Crichton in the centres, joining Koula, Kotoni Staggs and Brian To’o in the back line.

“What Casey did in game one was terrific, coming off the bench, and someone that probably wasn’t going to get any game time, but was thrust in, and then to handle it as well as he did was pretty special,” Daley said.

Daley also said he was confident Parramatta halfback Mitchell Moses would be fit for game two, despite missing his team’s Monday clash with the Bulldogs.

Casey McLean and Nathan Cleary before game one.

Moses was picked in Daley’s squad but suffered a hamstring injury in Origin camp.

“I’ve got full confidence in Mitch, he’s ticking every box, so you just don’t hold someone back thinking that something may happen,” Daley said.

“You’ve got to be confident enough to run with it, and we’ll see what happens, but I’m very confident that he’ll be right to play, and you’ve got a guy like Ethan Strange there, who was terrific in game one, so if something did happen [to Moses] during the game, he just goes straight into that position.”

McLean’s Kiwis teammate Briton Nikora, who also made his State of Origin debut off the bench for Queensland in game one, due to the relaxed eligibility laws, has been promoted to start the second time around.

Nikora will partner with Warriors star Kurt Capewell in Billy Slater’s back row.

Slater has also recalled out of form Broncos star Reece Walsh to his bench to replace an equally struggling Ezra Mam.

Warriors forward Mitchell Barnett has retained his spot in NSW’s pack, meaning both he and Capewell will miss the Warriors clash with the Sharks on Saturday night. The Sharks will be without powerhouse prop Addin Fonua-Blake, who has been named on the NSW bench and hooker Blayke Brailey, who would have been named in Daley’s squad had it not been for a broken arm suffered against Manly on the back-up from the Blues’ victory over Queensland in game one.

State of Origin game II: Wednesday June 17, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 10.05pm.

NSW Blues: James Tedesco, Brian To'o, Casey McLean, Kotoni Staggs, Tolutau Koula, Mitchell Moses, Nathan Cleary; Payne Haas, Reece Robson, Mitchell Barnett, Hudson Young, Dylan Lucas, Isaah Yeo. Interchange: Cameron Murray, Victor Radley, Addin Fonua-Blake, Apisai Koroisau, Ethan Strange, Mark Nawaqanitawase. Reserve: Haumole Olakau'atu.

Queensland: Kalyn Ponga, Selwyn Cobbo, Robert Toia, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Jojo Fifita, Cameron Munster, Sam Walker; Thomas Flegler, Harry Grant, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Briton Nikora, Kurt Capewell, Reuben Cotter. Interchange: Max Plath, Lindsay Collins, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Trent Loiero, Reece Walsh, Murray Taulagi. Reserve: Heilum Luki

– Additional reporting from Stuff