Kotoni Staggs leads SIX New South Wales debutants, but Josh Addo-Carr and Jake Trbojevic MISS OUT

Kotoni Staggs and Stephen Crichton will make their State of Origin debut next month, but there was no place for Jake Trbojevic and Josh Addo-Carr in the New South Wales squad.

The pair are two of the six debutants included in Brad Fittler’s Blues squad, along with Cronulla halfback Nicho Hynes and Parramatta second rower Ryan Matterson as well as Newcastle prop Jacob Saifiti and Roosters centre Joseph Suaalii.

Staggs and Crichton are expected to start Origin I at Accor Stadium on June 8, with Hynes and Matterson on the bench. The latter is one of seven Penrith players in the squad alongside Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Brian To’o, Apisai Koroisau, Liam Martin and Isaah Yeo.

Brisbane star Kotoni Staggs will make his State of Origin debut on June 8 in Sydney

Penrith gun Stephen Crichton (centre) will also make his New South Wales debut and is one of seven Panthers players selected by Brad Fittler 

The Broncos gun will slot into a brand new backline, which will be without reigning Dally M medallist Tom Trbjoevic, Souths star fullback Latrell Mitchell and his Storm counterpart Ryan Papenhuyzen.

The trio are all unavailable because of injuries, as are Cronulla gun Dale Finuane and Roosters lock Victor Radley. 

Significantly, Queensland’s only series win since Fittler took charge of the Blues came in 2020, when Trbojevic and Mitchell were both unavailable. 

The axing of Addo-Carr and Trbojevic comes as a major surprise, as both have been Blues stalwarts under Fittler. 

Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr and Manly prop Jake Trbojevic were surprisingly left out of the New South Wales squad for Origin I next month

The Bulldogs winger has played in the last 12 Origin games, while the Manly star has played every game for NSW under Fittler in which he’s been available. 

Sualii and Blues skipper James Tedesco are joined by Sydney Roosters teammate Daniel Tupou, whose height could be crucial in limiting the aerial prowess of Queensland wingers Selwyn Cobbo and Xavier Coates.  

Cameron Murray has been named in the team, despite undergoing surgery on his shoulder less than three weeks ago after making a swifter recovery than anticipated. 

Nicho Hynes (left) and Joseph Suaalii will also make their New South Wales debut

Blues captain James Tedesco (left) and Panthers star Nathan Cleary (right) are both in the team

The Newcastle duo of Saifiti and Tyson Frizell also made the squad, with the former’s brother, Daniel, missing through injury.

The extended squad will train together for the first time at Coogee Oval on Tuesday 31 May, with Fittler to name his team for the opening game by lunchtime tomorrow 

Queensland coach Billy Slater will name his Origin squad on Monday morning.