ETHAN Strange will make his State of Origin debut after a hamstring injury ruled New South Wales five-eighth Mitchell Moses out of the opening match of the series tomorrow.
Canterbury’s Matt Burton comes onto the extended bench with Strange pushing up into the starting side for the clash with Queensland at Accor Stadium.
“Scans this morning revealed a minor hamstring strain, sustained after training at Polytec Stadium on the Central Coast yesterday,” the NSWRL said in a media release.
Coach Laurie Daley told reporters: “It’s nothing major but it’s too risky 48 hours out from the game.
“It’s a big loss but Origin you expect nothing different, there’s always unexpected things that happen.
“We’ve got a really good strong group of young men and nothing fazes them.”
Earlier this year, Strange said he had benefited enormously from touring with the 2025 Kangaroos – even though he did not get a game.
“I spent some time away with some very knowledgeable football players so it’s definitely helped,” he said.
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