Michael Maguire in eye-opening call on Nathan Cleary and Tom Trbojevic ahead of Origin 3
The NSW coach has some crucial decisions to make after the Game 2 thrashing.
NSW coach Michael Maguire has refused to rule out changes to his Blues side for the State of Origin decider at Suncorp Stadium on July 17, despite his side's thumping win in Game 2. Origin stalwarts Nathan Cleary and Tom Trbojevic could both be available for Maguire in Game 3 as the Blues look to make history by becoming just the third NSW side to win the deciding game of an Origin series in Queensland.
Cleary and Trbojevic have both had long-term injuries that meant they were sidelined for the first two games of the Origin series. Trbojevic is set to return to the NRL with Manly at centre this Saturday night against the Cowboys in North Queensland, while Cleary's return date is not quite as set in stone.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary revealed recently that his son would likely make his NRL comeback after Penrith's round 20 bye, which would effectively rule him out of contention for Game 3. However, there is still a chance the three-time premiership-winning halfback could return to fitness in time to be considered in Maguire's Blues squad for Game 3.
Cleary's inclusion would seem a long shot considering rival No.7 Mitchell Moses was man of the match in Game 2 after an outstanding display for the Blues at the MCG. Moses' kicking game was spot on and he helped NSW control the game superbly as they put on an Origin-record 34 unanswered points in the first 40 minutes to effectively sew up the result before halftime.
Maguire admits he's reluctant to change a winning side heading into Game 3 but Cleary and Trbojevic's experience would certainly be tempting heading into a decider at the Maroons' cauldron that is Suncorp Stadium. The Blues coach also pointed out that things can change very quickly in rugby league and he'll have to wait and see how the players get through round 18 this week, before he makes a final decision on his squad.
Michael Maguire refuses to rule out NSW changes for Origin 3
“I’ve got to get through next week’s games, so that’s the first thing,” Maguire said on the Matty Johns Podcast. “That’s the one thing I have learned that you can’t pick a team until you get to the Sunday night and work out what’s what and who’s fit and who’s not.”
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The Blues coach revealed he's been in constant dialogue with Penrith halfback Cleary - who would almost certainly have been one of the first players picked for NSW if fit. The superb display from Moses in Game 2 sparked debate about what Madge should do if both halfbacks were available for the decider but the Blues coach says Cleary would likely support the decision not to change a winning formula.
“I have had a lot of discussions with Nathan (Cleary) all the way through and I know what he would say,” Maguire said. “You don’t change what’s working and I think where we are moving towards where we want to build and having Mitch and Jarome, touch wood, that they all get through. We’re building something very strong amongst that spine so moving forward you can see where we’re going.”
The same applies to superstar Manly fullback Trbojevic, who was the player of the Origin series in 2021 as the Blues won the shield. Turbo has excelled at centre for NSW and will get a chance to impress in that position for Manly against the Cowboys on Saturday night. But with NSW centres Latrell Mitchell and Stephen Crichton both outstanding in Origin 2 and Dylan Edwards enjoying a brilliant debut at fullback, Trbojevic's hopes of a recall appear equally slim.
Maguire did confirm that even if Turbo wasn't picked in the Blues' squad though, he'll likely still be involved in some capacity during Origin camp. “Tommy is much the same (as Cleary) really,” Maguire added. "Tommy will float in and around the camp if he’s got the ability to get there and that’s something there that they’ve all done. Nathan came up and Tommy came up, and when I first sort of started I used those boys as leaders amongst the group to get a bit of an idea of how things were travelling. But as I said I am really confident with the group that I’ve got.”
