Painful injury puts Blues enforcer under a cloud

Blues gun Liam Martin faces a race against the clock to be fit for State of Origin II after sitting out NSW’s training session on Wednesday due to a toe injury.

Martin is understood to be battling turf toe, a painful injury that can be debilitating.

The second-rower, who is one of the first players picked for the Blues, watched from the sidelines as his teammates were put through their paces at Blue Mountains Grammar School in Wentworth Falls.

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At the very least, Martin is likely to need a painkilling injection to make it through the do-or-die MCG Origin clash next Wednesday.

The Penrith star was also under an injury cloud during camp for Origin I but overcame any lingering doubts about his fitness with a strong performance, with his thunderous hit on Queensland debutant J’Maine Hopgood a rare highlight for NSW fans.

Martin has been picked to start the second Origin clash on the right edge, with Angus Crichton and Cameron Murray joining him in the back-row.

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The Blues expect he will return to the field for their next training session on Thursday.

“Because we’re training two days in a row, he was just resting today,” Blues skipper Jake Trbojevic said after the training session.

“He’s all good to go.”