Blues winger Brian To’o is in doubt for Origin III according to his coach, but the Panthers winger revealed a moment in the win over the Bulldogs that convinced him he will be good to go.
Laurie Daley has brought in Bulldogs flyer Jacob Kiraz as his 18th man for the decider, with Bradman Best also in the extended 20-man squad as cover for To’o.
The Penrith winger has been in the wars of late after bouncing back from a hamstring injury to score a hat-trick for the Blues in game two, only to injure his knee in the win over the Bulldogs in Round 17.
Daley is wary of carrying injured players in such an important game as the decider at Accor Stadium, which is why he has insurance policies in place.
“Bizza’s (To’o) scan was a good one, but (he’ll be on) restricted duties because you can’t afford to take any chances,” Daley said.
“That’s the reason why Jacob’s 18th man. Jacob will train the majority of the sessions so he won’t miss a beat.
“If we need to make that change then we will because we’ve got the flexibility there and it won’t disrupt our preparation.
“More importantly, Bizza can try to get right, and if Jacob plays, he’ll have a good 11-day prep before he makes his Origin debut.”
However, To’o believes a knock he took to his knee against the Bulldogs before playing on, ironically has given him the confidence he will be ready for Queensland on July 9.
To’o was reluctant to blame the penalty count in game two and says the Blues are focused on improving their discipline for the decider.
“We were obviously pretty poor there with the penalty count, but we’re still working on some little things and we’ll definitely be ready for game three,” To’o said.
It was hardly the best of build-ups to game two with five-eighth Mitch Moses going down during camp and being ruled out for the series, while Nathan Cleary carried a groin injury into Origin II.
But To’o was glad to see his former premiership winning teammate Jarome Luai join the team and believes they will be better with a full week’s preparation for the Sydney clash.
“I think it was good that it was early in the week where Mitch suffered his injury,” To’o said.
“And I think because Romey’s already played alongside the majority of the boys, it’s almost like a natural feeling, so it was pretty good under the circumstances.
“But we will definitely be better without those sort of disruptions hopefully this week.”
Queensland shocked the rugby league world by debuting their second centre of the series in Broncos star Gehamat Shibasaki for the decider, after Roosters rookie Robert Toia made his Origin bow in game one.
The Maroons will field one of the most inexperienced centre pairings in Origin history and certainly for a decider with just two games between them.
However, To’o revealed he has played Shibasaki since he was a young kid and never had any doubt he had the talent to play in the Origin arena.
“I haven’t played against him yet at NRL level,” To’o said of Shibasaki.
“But I played against him in the juniors. He’s a very talented player that’s been obviously working hard over the years.
“And he’s definitely where he is now and where he’s meant to be and I’m really happy for him that he got the call-up for the Maroons.
“But I’m looking forward to the challenge of going up against him.”
To’o has experienced a unique season for the Panthers as far as the last five seasons have gone, with Penrith storming back from last place early in the year to sit seventh with 10 rounds to play.
While they have not come back from that far back in the pack during their dynasty, To’o explained that each year they have won the title has involved building new combinations when players have left.
“We kind of struggled around the start to try and get everything going,” To’o said.
“Every year we are working on new combinations, so it is like it is a new team.
“We’ve always got new teams and new players as well to get used to the system.
“But so far it’s been really good. We’ve been building our momentum and hopefully we can keep going in each game from here on out.”
The big difference this season is a key member of their spine in Luai left to join the Tigers, with Blaize Talagi taking time to adjust to a new club and a new position.
However, To’o credited Nathan Cleary with helping Talagi transform into a playmaker and believes the best is yet to come.
“He was obviously under I wouldn’t say pressure, but it was just a lot for him at the start replacing Jarome,” To’o said.
“There was a lot of expectations on him, given that Romey (Luai) was there and he was filling his jersey.
“But his hard work and dedication has showcased what he can do as a young player.
“I think Nathan (Cleary) has done a mad job taking Blaize under his wing and teaching him a little thing or two.
“So I’m really happy for Blaize to see what he does best and always honoured to play alongside him every week.”
To’o might have his eyes on a ridiculous fifth straight title later in the year, but more urgently he is focused on lifting back-to-back Origin shields in front of a raucous home crowd next Wednesday night.
The Blues had to celebrate in enemy territory last year and while that was sweet in a unique way, To’o believes nothing beats celebrating with the NSW fans at home.
“It’s obviously a massive occasion for everyone,” To’o said.
“I’m just super excited for this game and we are working really hard to make sure that we get a win for the State.
“So we’ll definitely do the work throughout the week to prepare and see what happens next Wednesday.”