LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
The New South Wales Blues face a challenging outlook for the 2026 State of Origin series, with only three players considered safe: Payne Haas, Brian To'o, and Stephen Crichton.
According to zerotackle.com, the rest of the roster is in doubt following disappointing performances in Games 2 and 3 of the 2025 series.
Although the Blues managed a win in Game 1, their overall performance was subpar and glaring issues were evident.
They almost staged a comeback in Game 2, which led head coach Laurie Daley to mistakenly believe that no lineup changes were required.
However, this decision backfired as the identical 17-player squad returned to the field and delivered an even worse performance in Game 3.
Meanwhile, Queensland capitalized on their best game of the series, showcasing the stark contrast in performances between the two teams.
In summary, the future lineup for the Blues is uncertain, heavily reliant on the consistency and improvement of only a few core players as they look towards the next series.