Few surprises from conservative NSW as Queensland handle late Origin curveballs

Laurie Daley’s return as New South Wales coach brought a more lenient approach after her strict first stint, with key players like Mitchell Moses and Latrell Mitchell selected for the starting lineup despite Terrell May being benched due to inconsistent performance. Surprisingly, Hudson Young wasn’t named to the bench either, while Max King missed out again, signaling concerns about the team’s depth heading into the series. Meanwhile, Billy Slater faces a challenging decision as he weighs dropping experienced veteran Dane Gagai in favor of an inexperienced centre while Robert Toia could prove vital if called up for his debut.