Daley names – NSW coach Laurie Daley has named his squad for State of Origin game one against Queensland on May 27 in Sydney, dropping Dylan Edwards and handing Tolutau Koula a debut. The decision was also overshadowed by an embarrassing slip when Casey McGuire—retired in 2
NSW coach Laurie Daley’s State of Origin selection for game one against Queensland has come with the kind of mistake you don’t expect from a coach trying to steady nerves before the biggest night of the season.
Daley will take the field at Sydney on May 27 with a Blues team headlined by James Tedesco reclaiming the No.. 1 jersey, while Penrith hero Dylan Edwards has been left out.. Manly flyer Tolutau Koula is set for his debut in sky blue. with the wing spot also shaped by the Blues being forced to adjust to South Sydney’s Latrell Mitchell withdrawing due to a back injury.
The squad Daley will lead into Origin game one is:
1. James Tedesco
2. Brian To’o
3. Stephen Crichton
4. Kotoni Staggs
5. Tolutau Koula
6. Mitchell Moses
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Reece Robson
10. Mitch Barnett
11. Haumole Olakau’atu
12. Hudson Young
13. Isaah Yeo (captain).
On the bench, the Blues will feature Cameron Murray, Victor Radley, Jacob Saifiti, Blayke Brailey, Ethan Strange and Casey McLean, with Dylan Lucas named the 20th man.
The embarrassment came when Daley announced the squad on Monday morning, naming Casey McGuire instead of McLean. McGuire played two matches for the Maroons in 2005 and retired in 2012 after playing 150 NRL games for the Eels and Broncos.
Beyond the slip, Daley has also delivered a selection statement in how he balances experience and eligibility changes.. Tedesco’s call over Edwards is framed as the toughest decision Daley had to make. with Edwards starting all three games of last year’s losing series.. Tedesco. though. has done enough on the club stage to win the jersey back. with six tries and eight try assists across 10 games for the Roosters this season.
Game one will mark Tedesco’s 24th Blues appearance and his first since the opening game of the 2024 series. The NSW side Daley has built also includes six debutants, with Manly’s Tolu Koula, Roosters lock Victor Radley and Cronulla duo Addin Fonua-Blake and Blayke Brailey among the new faces.
Fonua-Blake and Radley have previously represented New Zealand and England in Test football. but a change in eligibility rules over the off-season has allowed both players to make their Origin bows.. Koula’s debut setup has him lining up on the wing alongside Brian To’o. with Kotoni Staggs and Stephen Crichton selected in the centres.
That combination is being asked to fill the void left by Latrell Mitchell.. The Souths star withdrew from selection because he has been struggling with a back injury over recent weeks. and he was unable to finish South Sydney’s loss to the Dolphins at Magic Round. with the centre having aggravated the back injury he suffered a fortnight earlier.
NSW had been expected to name Mitchell and manage his injury in camp ahead of game one in Sydney on May 27.. The Blues took a similar approach with Payne Haas and Brian To’o last year. with both overcoming their injury issues to finish the series as the Blues’ best players.. This time. Mitchell took the decision out of NSW’s hands. leaving Staggs. Koula and Casey McLean as selection options at left centre.
Victor Radley’s Origin debut is also highly anticipated. and the squad includes Canberra’s Ethan Strange and Penrith’s Casey McLean—both uncapped—on the bench alongside Radley. Cameron Murray and the recalled Jacob Saifiti.. Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Moses are paired in the halves. while Reece Robson has been selected at hooker. with the rest of the team described as falling broadly in line with expectations.
The timing of Monday morning’s error, followed immediately by the larger shake-up—Edwards dropped and Koula handed the wing debut—means the spotlight has landed on both selection pressure and the reality of Origin planning under injury uncertainty.
State of Origin NSW Laurie Daley Queensland James Tedesco Dylan Edwards Tolutau Koula Victor Radley Addin Fonua-Blake Blayke Brailey Casey McLean Casey McGuire Latrell Mitchell