A spate of withdrawals from the game has again raised questions about the legitimacy of the match.

On top of the pre-selection unavailability of halfback Mitchell Pearce due to a calf strain, City have lost five players to injury, including NSW State of Origin contender Josh Reynolds and three Wests Tigers representatives.

But the former Orange CYMS junior’s Country selection has continued his meteoric rise through the ranks of the NRL.

It was only this time last year that the talented 19-year-old made his debut for the Canberra Raiders in the NRL, having spent the previous year plying his trade in the ranks of their Toyota Cup side.

But 2013 started with a bang for the youngster, with a shock call-up to the Indigenous All Stars side for the season-opening clash on the Gold Coast after just nine NRL games in 2012.

There’s one common thread running through his selection for both representative sides.

Laurie Daley.

The Australian, New South Wales and Raiders legend plucked Wighton from relative obscurity into his Indigenous side and, despite no longer mentoring the Country outfit, was instrumental in his selection for Sunday’s game as New South Wales’ State of Origin coach.

For many years the City-Country game has been seen as a glorified Origin trial match, and with Daley assuming the Blues coaching role from Ricky Stuart this year, it’s fair to say he has big plans for Wighton’s future.

He certainly has big wraps on him.

“He looks like a kid that won’t be overawed by the bigger occasion. He impressed me last year in the finals and impressed me in the [Emerging] Origin camp we had with the young guys [late last year],’’ Daley said.

“He’s a guy you throw in, thinking about the future. He’s a big kid and looks like he won’t be fazed playing with these quality players.”

Wighton has played all his NRL games at centre or wing, but Daley can see him eventually being thrust into the No. 6 jersey.