NSW coach Brad Fittler has controversially cut one of the game's premier front-rowers, Knights prop David Klemmer, from his 27-man squad.
Klemmer's teammates from last series-winning game three triumph, Mitchell Pearce and Wade Graham, were also notable absentees from Fittler's updated squad on Sunday night.
David Klemmer has been left out of NSW's State of Origin squad.CREDIT:NRL PHOTOS
The omission of Pearce and Graham hardly came as a surprise given their form in 2020, but Klemmer has been averaging 175 metres a game this season and is the incumbent starting Australian prop.
Klemmer is also one of NSW's most capped players with 14 games of a possible 15 over the past five series, but his position in the team has been somewhat clouded in conjecture since Fittler took over in 2018.
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In his first series in charge, Fittler was set to overlook Klemmer in favour of Ryan James, who had been booked on a plane from the Gold Coast to Sydney, only to change his mind at the 11th hour.
After missing Origin II in Perth, Klemmer was then initially left out for game three last year before being included following a suspension to Tariq Sims.
The news comes a week after Fittler left out Sims and Paul Vaughan, who both featured in NSW's series victory last year.
Fittler added just two names to his squad on Sunday night, calling in Klemmer's Knights teammate Daniel Saifiti and Dragons centre Zac Lomax as a replacement for the unavailable Tom Trbojevic, who withdrew this week through injury.
Fittler will continue to add players to his squad as teams are knocked out of the premiership race in the coming weeks. As it stands, six of the 27 spots in the squad have been filled. Saifiti and Lomax join Payne Haas, Tyson Frizell, Jake Trbojevic and Cameron McInnes.
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The selected players will be permitted to temporarily leave the NRL bubble introduced this season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and will be required to maintain a level of fitness before re-entering the bubble again for the start of camp on the Central Coast on October 19.
NSW BLUES POTENTIAL 27-MAN SQUAD
Backs (nine spots)
Safe: James Tedesco, Josh Addo-Carr, Jack Wighton, Zac Lomax*
Fighting for five spots: Ryan Papenhuyzen, Clint Gutherson, Nick Cotric, Blake Ferguson, Daniel Tupou, Stephen Crichton, Campbell Graham
Halves and hookers (five-six spots)
Safe: Luke Keary, Nathan Cleary, Damien Cook, Cody Walker, Cameron McInnes*
Fighting for two-three spots: Mitchell Moses, Api Koroisau
Forwards (12-13 spots)
Safe: Payne Haas*, Tyson Frizell*, Boyd Cordner, Cameron Murray, Jake Trbojevic*, Daniel Saifiti*
Fighting for six-seven spots: Junior Paulo, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Dale Finucane, Nathan Brown, Ryan Matterson, Angus Crichton, Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo
Likely NSW team for Origin I
- James Tedesco
- Josh Addo-Carr
- Zac Lomax/Stephen Crichton/Clint Gutherson
- Jack Wighton
- Daniel Tupou/Nick Cotric
- Luke Keary
- Nathan Cleary
- Daniel Saifiti
- Damien Cook
- Payne Haas
- Tyson Frizell
- Boyd Cordner (c)
- Jake Trbojevic
Reserves
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14. Cameron Murray 15. Junior Paulo/Reagan Campbell-Gillard16. Angus Crichton/Ryan Matterson 17. Clint Gutherson/Ryan Papenhuyzen
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/or...s-fittler-cuts-three-more-incumbents-20201004