The players who are 80 minutes from an Origin debut

These are the stars playing for an Origin gig this weekend.

FIGHT TO REPLACE MUNSTER

With the champion Cameron Munster ruled out with a groin injury, the race is on to fill his coveted No.6 jumper.

It appears to be a race in two, between North Queensland’s Tom Dearden and Brisbane’s young gun Ezra Mam.

Dearden filled the void in game three of the 2022 series and helped the Maroons to a series-deciding victory.

Mam, 21, is undoubtedly an Origin star of the future but even he admits he may not be quite ready.

“Obviously it would be a dream of mine to represent my state, but in saying that I haven’t been playing my best footy this year for the Broncos and I’m not where I want to be at the moment,” Mam told Triple M’s The Rush Hour QLD with AB and Elliott.

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“We’ve got some great halves in Queensland that would easily step up and do the job for Queensland.”

Mam has the chance to leapfrog Dearden into the Origin jumper when the Broncos take on the Titans on Sunday.

Dearden’s Cowboys, meanwhile, play the Tigers on Friday night.

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WHO WILL PARTNER HYNES?

With Nathan Cleary ruled out and Mitchell Moses’ chances all but over, it appears Nicho Hynes will wear the NSW No.7 jumper in game one.

The question now is who will wear the No.6 and partner Hynes in the halves.

Penrith’s Jarome Luai is who former Blues skipper Paul Gallen wants to see wear the jumper.

Luai donned the jersey for the first two games last year, before South Sydney’s Cody Walker was brought in for another crack at it – and was awarded Man of the Match in a dead rubber victory.

Walker’s form has nosedived this season along with that of the Rabbitohs, who sit bottom of the ladder.

While Andrew Johns has been throwing his support behind Walker retaining the Origin spot, it would take a giant show of faith from Michael Maguire to bring such an out-of-form player in.

The smoky could be Matt Burton from the Bulldogs.

The 24-year-old has played at left centre for the Blues previously and was impressive, and his monster left boot would be an asset to the NSW attack.

NSW NO.9 CONUNDRUM

The Blues cycled through three different starting hookers during last year’s series.

Api Koroisau did the job in game one, then Reece Robson was called in to wear the No.9 in game two, and Damien Cook was recalled for game three.

Gallen, in the aforementioned Wide World of Sports column earlier this week, picked Sharks rake Blayke Brailey as his starting hooker.

Brailey’s Sharks are on top of the NRL ladder.

On the other end of the scale all of Koroisau’s (Tigers), Robson’s (Cowboys) and Cook’s (Rabbitohs) teams are struggling to find form.

Cronulla faces three-time reigning premiers Penrith on Saturday and a big performance from Brailey could rocket the young talent into the Origin team.

Roosters utility Connor Watson was firming as a Blues bolter and could have filled a hooker role, but is now sidelined with a throat injury.

BILLY’S BIG HEADACHE

The Queensland coach has to cut someone from his backline before game one.

Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi played all three games last year for the Maroons, but has arguably now been surpassed for his state, with Wally Lewis leaving him out of his Origin I side, chosen for Wide World of Sports.

He missed a month of footy but returned to the field in round 11, and will line up against the Tigers on Friday to push his case for selection.

Standing in his way is the likes of Dolphins speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow – who played all three games at centre for Queensland last year – and towering Broncos talent Selwyn Cobbo.

Melbourne beanpole Xavier Coates is expected to occupy the other wing, while Valentine Holmes now faces competition from the in-form Dane Gagai for a centre spot.

Unfortunately for Gagai, the Knights have a bye this week and so he can’t do any more to convince Slater of a recall.

BOLTER FOR NO.1 JUMPER

Injuries have scrubbed Tom Trbojevic and Ryan Papenhuyzen from NSW’s fullback race.

But incumbent James Tedesco still faces some competition for the position.

Panthers superstar Dylan Edwards is one of the in-form players in the NRL and has undoubtedly been one of the best fullbacks over the last few years.

Don’t discount his chances of unseating Origin veteran Tedesco from the position.

He faces ladder leaders Cronulla on Saturday, while Tedesco’s Roosters travel to the nation’s capital for a clash with the Raiders.

BLUES BACKLINE RACE

Aside from the No.1 jumper, there are a number of players jostling for spots in the NSW backline.

Stephen Crichton is all but assured of one of the centre positions, while Penrith’s Brian To’o would be hard done by to be axed from a wing.

But there is a wing and a centre spot very much up for grabs.

Tom Trbojevic, Bradman Best, and now Kotoni Staggs have all suffered untimely injuries and would have been in contention for the remaining centre position.

It leaves the likes of Penrith’s Izack Tago, Cronulla’s Jesse Ramien, and South Sydney superstar Latrell Mitchell battling it out for that jumper.

Tago and Ramien will, intriguingly, go head to head on Saturday night.

Zac Lomax and Joseph Suaalii are both potential Origin debutants who can play at either wing or centre.

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Lomax will square off with Matt Burton of the Bulldogs on Thursday night, the latter whom has played left centre for NSW previously and could do the Blues job again.

And then there’s Blues veteran Josh Addo-Carr, who has adopted an all-meat diet this year and has rediscovered some top form with Canterbury.

Addo-Carr has been a loyal NSW servant for a number of years but now faces stiff competition from the aforementioned young guns.

SHARK’S LATE AUDITION

Cronulla workhorse Cameron McInnes is a typical Origin-style player in that he busts his backside from the opening kick-off to the final siren, and regularly tops the tackle count for Cronulla.

While he may not produce the game-winning play, Origin coaches historically love to have players of his ilk on the field due to their reliability.

But the man himself wasn’t too keen to discuss Origin when asked about it last week.

“I don’t have social media, so I don’t see or hear anything of me getting spoken about for Origin until you asked me right now,” McInnes said told media.

“That’s the honest truth – my family don’t care about my football because I’ve got three kids who require all our attention.

“You can get caught thinking too much, when I was a little bit younger I did, and it doesn’t do you any good.”

He takes on Penrith on Saturday night and no doubt Maguire will be watching.