The 2024 State of Origin Game II squads have dropped and there’s a host of talking points to discuss across both states. Let’s break down the team lists and see what we can learn ahead of next Wednesday night at the MCG.
Queensland Maroons
Queensland’s succession planning has been the best in the Origin arena for years now and as per usual, much of the Maroons squad picks itself for Game II.
Rather than reaching for left-field selections when injuries strike, Billy Slater has the luxury of recalling two Origin veterans in Felise Kaufusi and Kurt Capewell to fill the voids left by J’Maine Hopgood and Selwyn Cobbo, respectively.
While hardly like-for-like replacements, both Kaufusi and Capewell are proven role players who can be relied upon to spot up and do a job next week.
Kaufusi offers edge and middle cover while Capewell’s utility value in the forwards and backline has been a deciding factor in previous Series.
The glaring omission of David Fifita is again a major talking point after the backrower missed NRL Round 15 as a precaution with a minor ankle injury.
I discussed his qualities in the lead up to Game I and while the injury is presumably a factor this time around, his absence is once again a positive for NSW fans.
The Joseph Sua’ali’i incident changed the complexity of Game I and we heard extensively from Maroons staff and players in the post-match about QLD not ‘getting their game on’ due to the disruption.
It’s an advantage for the Maroons coming into Game II to know what to expect from the Blues while still keeping their own cards very close to their chest.
Ben Hunt’s two tries down a short right edge gave us some clues as to what QLD looked at in the lead up to this Series but there’s still a lot of unknowns about how Slater wants his side to use the ball.
We predicted QLD’s attack would heavily feature isolating Reece Walsh onto the three-in defenders but NSW’s edges profile better to contain the Maroons speed this time around.
While Walsh will undoubtedly be at the forefront of the best version of this Maroons attack, the squad Slater has chosen for Game II profiles a little better to play straight through the middle.
Rather than seeing QLD play shift for shift in yardage, perhaps we see a more direct approach from the Maroons next week where the involvements of Hunt and Harry Grant around the ruck become even more crucial.
New South Wales Blues
Another loss, another host of mass changes for the NSW Blues. That’s how it reads on paper, but it’s a little different this time around.
Just about every change Michael Maguire has made for Game II involves players who would have been there in Game I, if available; Cameron McInnes covered for Cam Murray, Nicho Hynes spotted up for Mitchell Moses, James Tedesco was a last-minute replacement for Dylan Edwards and Connor Watson was the preferred bench-utility over Hudson Young.
Bringing in Latrell Mitchell is the only real change ‘Madge’ has made to his squad and even that has been triggered by injury.
Watson’s inclusion is arguably the biggest surprise but his form and versatility has proven too hard to ignore.
He’s been one of Easts best across three different positions in clubland this year and will have similar impact wherever he plays on Wednesday night; run hard, lead the line speed and kick chase and always be in support.
All the Origin greats will tell you that the best players are those who are always moving their feet – something that was highlighted in the fallout of Lindsay Collins’ Game I heroics last year – and Watson fits this description to a tee.
The biggest question for NSW in Game I was where their points might come from and a lot of those questions are answered by the inclusion of Mitchell and Moses, in particular.
We know NSW will use their back five to carry out of yardage but the Blues have a few more options this time around when they get over halfway.
The leg speed and ballplaying involvements of Murray, Watson and Isaah Yeo through the middle can help to generate ruck speed or hit spots on the field in preparation for a shift.
From there, the wide service of Reece Robson and the myriad of genuine pivots in this Blues squad will allow NSW to play shot-for-shot and coast-to-coast in good-ball.
Look for NSW to search the right edge through Moses and Edwards before coming back to the left via Jarome Luai and Mitchell.
Moses’ ability to build towards scoring actions by generating positive matchups in the tackle or engaging specific defenders in the line lends itself to this approach; where Hynes was caught scanning and waiting for cues to target in Game I, Moses can create them ahead of time.
Moses’ kicking game also profiles as a deciding factor for the Blues in this one after Daly Cherry-Evans’ masterclass with the boot in Game I.
How and where you finish a set is a crucial detail in State of Origin and NSW now have the cattle to ice fifth play options and start their own sets strongly in the backfield.
What are your key takeaways from each squad and who have you got winning State of Origin, Game II next week? Let us know in the comments.
Written by Oscar Pannifex | rugbyleaguewriters.com