The Orange product has handled one switch brilliantly, now NSW coach Brad Fittler is confident Jack Wighton can handle another in Sunday's potentially-deciding State of Origin clash at Perth Stadium.
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Fittler produced a massive shock when he named the Canberra Raiders five-eighth in the centres to replace dropped Sydney Roosters star Latrell Mitchell on Sunday, also sensationally recalling Orange-born Penrith five-eighth James Maloney as well.
It was one of seven changes to the Blues side that lost Origin I, with Wighton to play on NSW's left edge. Tom Trbojevic returns to partner Wighton in the centres, while along with Maloney Blake Ferguson, Tariq Sims, Wade Graham, and debutants Daniel Saifiti and Dale Finucane were the other additions.
Tom's played for Australia in the centres and Jack's played in the centres for Canberra. I'm very confident they can do a job.
- NSW coach Brad Fittler, on his centre pairing
Wighton was the bench utility for game one and Fittler was happy with what he produced, despite throwing a costly intercept pass. The Blues coach was confident both Wighton and fullback Trbojevic could handle playing out of position.
Wighton made the switch from fullback to five-eighth at the start of the season with such success it's brought him onto the Origin stage.
But he's played 21 of his 142 NRL games in the centres before moving into the Raiders spine.
"Jack will be on the left-hand side ... [and] we just needed to get Tom Trbojevic into the team," Fittler said.
"They've both played centre before. Tom's played for Australia in the centres and Jack's played in the centres for Canberra. I'm very confident they can do a job.
"We've got a week to prep the boys and get them used to the people they're going to defend and attack with, but I'm very confident they'll be comfortable playing in those positions."
Maloney will partner Penrith teammate Nathan Cleary in the halves, just as he did in leading NSW to victory in last year's series.
He's pledged NSW will not go into their shell like the second-half surrender to Queensland in game one, a statement typifying the experience and confidence Fittler craves.
"I thought last year it was hopefully the start of a really dominant period for NSW and I still think it can be and should be," Maloney enthused.
"I suppose now you've got a pretty strong hand in making sure it's still the case.
"Hopefully I can just take a bit of pressure off [Cleary] and let him do the things he does well and play well. I can take a bit of control and make sure everything we need to do we do and run the side around."
Maloney outshone NSW incumbent Cody Walker on his 33rd birthday as the Panthers pipped the Rabbitohs on Saturday night, kicking the decisive field goal to extend Penrith's winning run to four.
It was going to matter little though at the selection table until Mitchell Pearce was scratched with injury on Sunday, scuppering plans to include him in the halves alongside Cleary.
Origin bad boy Ferguson has done enough to earn a reprieve on the wing, while Graham is back in the side after just two NRL games since undergoing a knee reconstruction.
"It's the hardest thing I've had to do. The great thing was he scored a couple of tries today," he said.
"I just hope he gets his smile back, gets his swagger and it won't be too long before he's playing rep footy."
- NSW BLUES: 1 James Tedesco, 2 Blake Ferguson, 3 Tom Trbojevic, 4 Jack Wighton, 5 Josh Addo-Carr, 6 James Maloney, 7 Nathan Cleary, 8 Daniel Saifiti, 9 Damien Cook, 10 Paul Vaughan, 11 Boyd Cordner (c), 12 Tyson Frizell, 13 Jake Trbojevic; Interchange: 14 Dale Finucane, 15 Tariq Sims, 16 Cameron Murray, 17 Wade Graham.
- QLD MAROONS: 1. Kalyn Ponga, 2. Corey Oates, 3. Michael Morgan, 4. Will Chambers, 5. Dane Gagai, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans (c), 8. Dylan Napa, 9. Ben Hunt, 10. Josh Papalii, 11. Felise Kaufusi, 12. Matt Gillett, 13. Josh McGuire; Interchange: 14. Moses Mbye, 15. Jarrod Wallace, 16. Tim Glasby, 17. David Fifita; Reserves: 18. Christian Welch, 19. Edrick Lee, 20. Corey Norman
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