Eels flyer Josh Addo-Carr has put his hand up for a State of Origin recall as Blues coach Laurie Daley navigates another weekend of injuries to NSW contenders.
It was a case of another week, another round of injuries for the NSW coach as Mark Nawaqanitawase and Angus Crichton went down in the Roosters’ tight win over Brisbane on Saturday night.
Nawaqanitawase has undergone ankle surgery, while Crichton was diagnosed with a minor MCL sprain.
Nawaqanitawase is the latest NSW outside back to pick up an injury in the past few weeks, with Jacob Kiraz and Tom Trbojevic also unlikely to be available for Game One at Accor Stadium on May 27.
The blows have seen Addo-Carr rocket into contention as he enjoys a spectacular career resurgence in the NRL.
The winger last played Origin in 2023 and was cut loose by the Bulldogs 12 months later before being handed a lifeline by Parramatta at the start of last season.
Addo-Carr repaid the Eels with an impressive campaign and earnt a Kangaroos jumper for the Ashes tour of England. Now, he has his eye on another representative recall.
“I’m always thinking about it,” Addo-Carr told reporters. “Those are the teams you want to be in. That’s the pinnacle of rugby league, Origin and playing for Australia.
“If that opportunity comes up, I will definitely take it with both hands but my sole focus right now is playing good footy for Parramatta and trying to help these young boys here.”
Incumbent Brian To’o is set to line up on one wing, with Addo-Carr among a host of contenders in the frame for the other spot.
To’o’s Panthers teammate Tom Jenkins is the NRL’s leading try-scorer, Campbell Graham has played for Australia, while Suni Turuva, Alex Johnston and Daniel Tupou are all options.
Addo-Carr has scored 11 tries in 15 Origin appearances from 2018 to 2023, enjoying a series victory on three occasions.
The veteran has long been on Daley’s radar and was invited to the Blues pre-season camp in January alongside Blayke Brailey, Isaiya Katoa and a host of experienced NSW campaigners.
Addo-Carr’s next chance to impress Blues selectors comes on Friday night when the Eels take on North Queensland in Townsville.
“We had an Origin get-together a couple of months ago,” Addo-Carr said. “It was really good. To be selected in that and to be around the best players for our state was pretty cool.
“Hopefully I do get the call up but I’m focused on what I’ve got to do here.”
While the loss of multiple outside backs is causing Daley plenty of headaches, injuries to key forwards have also left the coach with more questions than answers just two weeks out from the naming of his first team.
Crichton joins fellow back-rower Liam Martin on the sidelines, while Hudson Young is set to return from suspension for the Raiders on Sunday.
Up front, Payne Haas is set to miss the opening game of the series with a knee injury, Max King is sidelined with a broken jaw and Mitch Barnett has been limited to just four games this year in a frustrating start to the season. The Warriors co-captain is expected to return from a concussion this weekend.
In positive news, Haumole Olakau’atu has taken his game to another level this year and the versatile Cameron Murray has returned to his elite standard after an Achilles rupture effectively wiped out his 2025 season.
The other puzzle Daley must solve is who to play in the halves, with Nathan Cleary, Mitchell Moses, Jarome Luai and Ethan Strange in the mix.
Strange missed Canberra’s win over the Titans with an ankle injury, while Luai was also sidelined earlier this season with a knee injury before returning last month.
Daley has shown a preference for club combinations in the pass, turning to Bulldogs halves Trent Hodkinson and Josh Reynolds to break the Maroons eight-year stranglehold on the Origin shield in 2014.
Hodkinson has been watching with interest this season and said it’s vital to get the balance right between the two halves.
“I can see [Moses and Cleary] working and it has worked in the past,” Hodkinson said. “In Game One last year, they won that game. You’ve got to come up with a plan for Nathan to control it and Mitch to play off the cuff. He’s got the long kicking game as well, which is super important in Origin.
“Having two dominant halves is where you see sides struggle, especially at Origin level. It’s hard to hear, you’ve got the crowd to deal with at away games. It can work If Nathan can direct the play around and mitch can play off the back of it, which they’ve done before.
“Luai has got that combination with [Cleary] and then Ethan Strange sits back down there at Canberra and then explodes when he needs to. Laurie said they’re going to be picked on form, he’s made it quite clear so they’ll have to play their way into a jersey.”
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