The rugby league communities in three of the region’s towns will have extra incentive to watch next Wednesday’s first State of Origin match after NSW coach Brad Fittler opted for a blend of youth and experience in his squad.
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The Blues squad was announced in Sydney on Monday night, a day after it was leaked through the media, and as such there were no real surprises.
But there was plenty of joy for the central west, with Wellington’s Tyrone Peachey and Young’s Angus Crichton set to debut alongside Origin veteran James Maloney, a product of Orange’s St Josephs Sheahan football factory.
Peachey joins another Wellington product, Blake Ferguson, as the most recent product from the Group 11 region to pull on the blue jersey.
The Gold Coast-bound utility has been a shining light for Penrith over the past few seasons, and has often been spoken about as an Origin player in waiting, but it has taken Fittler’s fresh approach to selection for him to earn a berth.
He will provide spark off the bench after filling in at a number of positions for the Panthers so far this season.
“It’s crazy how this year all panned out,” he said after he joined the NSW camp.
“Nath (Cleary) got injured and I had the opportunity to go five-eighth and took advantage of it.
“Nath came back and went into centres. It’s been a different year and I’ve played a lot of different roles but it’s all worked out and I’m feeling awesome and happy to be here.”
Crichton’s rise to the Origin ranks has been a bit more rapid, but he too has stamped himself as being ready for the rigours of the code’s toughest contest.
A blockbusting back-rower, the former rugby union player from the southern part of the region took an unfamiliar route to rugby league’s biggest stage.
He was an Australian Schoolboy rugby player during his time at The Scot’s College in Sydney but was snapped up by the Sydney Roosters, before Souths snuck under the guard of their rivals to sign him.
He made his NRL debut for the Rabbitohs late in 2016 and had a breakout year in 2017, which culminated in him signing a contract to return to the Roosters at the end of this season.
The 22-year-old has played only 42 matches, a stark contrast to Maloney, who has played in excess of 200 NRL games and has been involved in three previous State of Origin series.
The larrikin five-eighth is sure to bring a level head to a squad which features 11 debutantes.
And that blend of mainly youth with a little bit of experience holds no concerns for Fittler, despite his side containing only 39 games of Origin experience between them - the least of any side since back in 1984.
"I wasn't concerned about debutants," Fittler said.
"I don't think the kids seem to worry as much as we did in the past.
"The key is to get the right amount of experience players and making sure they were fit as well."
NSW: James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic, Josh Addo-Carr, Latrell Mitchell, James Roberts, James Maloney, Nathan Cleary, Damien Cook, David Klemmer, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Boyd Cordner (capt), Tyson Frizell, Jack de Belin. Interchange: Paul Vaughan, Jake Trbojevic, Angus Crichton, Tyrone Peachey.