Origin chance for Mateo
Thelikely Origin-ending back injury to Tony Williams may open the door for Warriors back rower Feleti Mateo to make hisnswdebut in Sydney in game two.
Williams has been ruled out of at least the second game of the series after suffering a lower back injury in Wednesday night’s controversial loss to Queensland in Melbourne.
North Queensland enforcer Tariq Sims would have been almost guaranteed to replace Williams in the Blues side for the match on June 13, but a broken leg suffered against the Panthers last Saturday will sideline him for the rest of the season.
If Blues coach Ricky Stuart is determined to have a dynamic game-changer at his disposal off the bench, his options are somewhat limited.
But Warriors back rower Mateo can be one of the most devastating forwards in the game, and has the size and skill to worry the Maroons. His selection would mark the first time anewsouth Welshman was picked from the Auckland-based club for Origin duty.
If Stuart wants to run the Queensland bigmenoff their feet with second phase play, Mateo is a more than capable replacement for Williams, but it is the mistakes in his game that leave a huge question mark over his selection.
Healso failed to make an impression in the City-country match at Mudgee last month, falling off Stuart’s radar following his mediocre hitout for the City Origin side.
Stuart’s other option is to throw Jamal Idris an Origin lifeline and use him as a battering ram. However, he has struggled to reach the high standard with Gold Coast that he set at the Canterbury Bulldogs last season.
Idris has played one Origin and one test for the Kangaroos coming off the bench, and is no stranger to the forward pack despite playing most of his career in the centres.
Safer options at Stuart’s disposal are Manly back rower Anthony Watmough and young Tigers prop Aaron Woods. Williams is understood to be facing up to eight weeks on the sidelines with a stress fracture in his back although Manly coach Geoff Toovey hopes it is not as serious as that.
Meanwhile, Kiwis test centre Steve Matai on Friday finalised a deal to remain with Manly until the end of the 2015 season.