MATCH PREVIEW
Breaking
Kerr, McInnes named in Origin squads as Hunt retains spot
Author
NRL.com
Timestamp
Fri 6 Nov 2020, 04:00 PM
After being written off by all and sundry going into game one, the Maroons head to Sydney with the chance to wrap up the Ampol State of Origin series.
The Blues led 10-0 at half-time of the opening clash but couldn't contain the Queenslanders in the second half and lost 18-14.
However, as Daly Cherry-Evans was quick to point out, the Maroons won game one last year and lost the series. The job is far from done.
Maroons coach Wayne Bennett said he would see how his troops pulled up before making any changes for a seven-day turnaround, while NSW mentor Brad Fittler's hand will be forced by an injury.
Match: Blues v Maroons
Game 2 - Wednesday 11th November
8:10pm
Home Team
Blues
2nd Position
Away Team
Maroons
1st Position
Venue: ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Match broadcasters:
- Nine Network
The rundown
Team news
Blues: Captain Boyd Cordner won't play due to the effects of a head knock suffered in Adelaide and Luke Keary has been demoted to the reserves among a raft of changes for game two.
Cody Walker (who was on the bench for game one) will start at five-eighth, with Angus Crichton to start in Cordner's spot in the back row. Payne Haas and Junior Paulo swap spots from game one, with Haas to start and Paulo to come off the bench.
With Cameron Murray (hamstring) having been ruled out on Thursday, there is a new-look bench. As well as Paulo, Dale Finucane returns to Origin while Isaah Yeo and Nathan Brown have been named to make their debuts.
Keary, who could still feature on game day, is joined by Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Stephen Crichton and Cameron McInnes on the reserves list.
Maroons: Valentine Holmes will make his Origin comeback and Dunamis Lui is a surprise inclusion at prop after Christian Welch was ruled out due to a heavy knock late in game one.
In the other change to the Queensland starting side, Coen Hess is out, with Jaydn Su'A to start after impressing in game one.
Apart from Lui, Su'A and Holmes, the only other change from the game-time 17 from Adelaide is uncapped Titans prop Moeaki Fotuaika getting a spot on the interchange bench.
Holmes hasn't represented the state since 2018, after which he had an NFL sojourn. The Maroons needed a new fullback after AJ Brimson suffered a series-ending lisfranc ligament injury in his foot towards the end of game one.
Brenko Lee, Corey Allan, Josh Kerr and Edrick Lee are the Queensland reserves.
Match: Blues v Maroons
Game 2 - Wednesday 11th November
8:10pm
Home Team
Blues
Away Team
Maroons
Venue: ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Team Lists
Backs
- Fullback for Blues is number 1 James Tedesco
1
Fullback for Maroons is number 1 Valentine Holmes - Winger for Blues is number 2 Daniel Tupou
2
Winger for Maroons is number 2 Xavier Coates - Centre for Blues is number 3 Clinton Gutherson
3
Centre for Maroons is number 3 Kurt Capewell - Centre for Blues is number 4 Jack Wighton
4
Centre for Maroons is number 4 Dane Gagai - Winger for Blues is number 5 Josh Addo-Carr
5
Winger for Maroons is number 5 Phillip Sami - Five-Eighth for Blues is number 6 Cody Walker
6
Five-Eighth for Maroons is number 6 Cameron Munster - Halfback for Blues is number 7 Nathan Cleary
7
Halfback for Maroons is number 7 Daly Cherry-Evans
- Prop for Blues is number 8 Daniel Saifiti
8
Prop for Maroons is number 8 Dunamis Lui - Hooker for Blues is number 9 Damien Cook
9
Hooker for Maroons is number 9 Jake Friend - Prop for Blues is number 10 Payne Haas
10
Prop for Maroons is number 10 Josh Papalii - 2nd Row for Blues is number 11 Angus Crichton
11
2nd Row for Maroons is number 11 Felise Kaufusi - 2nd Row for Blues is number 12 Tyson Frizell
12
2nd Row for Maroons is number 12 Jaydn Su'A - Lock for Blues is number 13 Jake Trbojevic
13
Lock for Maroons is number 13 Tino Faasuamaleaui
- Interchange for Blues is number 14 Dale Finucane
14
Interchange for Maroons is number 14 Ben Hunt - Interchange for Blues is number 15 Junior Paulo
15
Interchange for Maroons is number 15 Lindsay Collins - Interchange for Blues is number 16 Nathan Brown
16
Interchange for Maroons is number 16 Jai Arrow - Interchange for Blues is number 17 Isaah Yeo
17
Interchange for Maroons is number 17 Moeaki Fotuaika
- Reserve for Blues is number 18 Luke Keary
18
Reserve for Maroons is number 18 Brenko Lee - Reserve for Blues is number 19 Reagan Campbell-Gillard
19
Reserve for Maroons is number 19 Corey Allan - Reserve for Blues is number 20 Cameron McInnes
20
Reserve for Maroons is number 20 Josh Kerr - Reserve for Blues is number 21 Stephen Crichton
21
Reserve for Maroons is number 21 Edrick Lee
- Cameron McInnes
- Dale Finucane
- Isaah Yeo
- Nathan Brown
- Reagan Campbell-Gillard
- Stephen Crichton
Maroons Ins
- Brenko Lee
- Corey Allan
- Dunamis Lui
- Edrick Lee
- Josh Kerr
- Moeaki Fotuaika
- Valentine Holmes
- Boyd Cordner
- Cameron Murray
Maroons Ins
- Alexander Brimson
- Christian Welch
- Coen Hess
- Referee: Gerard Sutton
- Touch Judge: Chris Butler
- Touch Judge: Todd Smith
- Senior Review Official: Steve Chiddy
Key match-up
Dane Gagai v Jack Wighton. Gagai outpointed Wighton in the series opener, including beating him to make a line break and set up a try, so the NSW star will be desperate to make amends.
Stat Attack
NSW got the better of Queensland in a plethora of areas in game one. They ran for more metres (1914 v 1852), made more line breaks (4 v 3), broke more tackles (31 v 26), popped more offloads (13 v 11), forced more dropouts (2 v 1), missed less tackles (26 v 31), made less errors (13 v 14) and conceded less penalties (2 v 3).
The Maroons had a higher completion rate (78 v 75 percent) and didn't have to make as many tackles (355 v 395).
https://www.dragons.com.au/news/2020/11/06/kerr-mcinnes-named-in-squads-as-hunt-retains-spot/