Bulldogs star Stephen Crichton sat out the first Blues training session on Wednesday in a worrying development for NSW coach Laurie Daley.
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Crichton was spotted in sneakers and his tracksuit while the rest of the Blues squad was put through their paces.
According to Code Sports, he was one of the most vocal members of the squad despite not taking part in the drills.
The 25-year-old picked up an AC joint injury in Round 5 against the Rabbitohs on Good Friday and has been managung the injury
His selection in the side was already the subject of conjecture with reports he could have missed out if not for Latrell Mitchell’s late withdrawal.
Blues skipper Isaah Yeo revealed Crichton did not take part due to a niggle from Magic Round.
“I think it was just a little niggle from the weekend, but as far as I know he will be training tomorrow,” Yeo said.
“I think we were just looking after him today. We didn’t do all that much, so it was just to give him another day to recover and he will be right tomorrow.”
The Blues, meanwhile, added four players to the NSW squad to train with the side for the next two days including Eels fullback Joash Papalii, Panthers five-eighth Blaize Talagi, Sharks forward Tom Hazelton and Knights back-rower Mat Croker.
Stephen Crichton sat out the Blues’ first session.Source: Getty Images
BLUES GREAT’S REVEAL ON REASON FOR WALSH’S MAROONS SNUB
Blues great James Maloney has lifted the lid on the real reason behind Broncos star Reece Walsh’s shock omission from Billy Slater’s Queensland team for State of Origin I.
Despite being the incumbent Kangaroos fullback, Walsh was overlooked for a Maroons recall in favour of Knights star Kalyn Ponga and he couldn’t even grab a spot on the bench.
The unusual snub of Walsh, given his heroics in leading the Broncos to the 2025 title and the Kangaroos to an Ashes series sweep was a huge point of conjecture when the Queensland team was named.
However, Maloney revealed on the Extended Bench Podcast that the call came from Walsh due to his limited game time since returning from a facial fracture.
“I heard that Reece Walsh had a conversation with Billy Slater and he just said with his facial fracture that he just isn’t 100 per cent,” Maloney revealed on news.com.au’s Extended Bench.
“To me that makes sense. I don’t know why else you’d leave him out and I don’t think Billy (Slater) would leave him out if he was alright.
“But if he’s said I’m not quite right then he (Slater) went okay I’ll leave you (out of the team) and I reckon he’s a big chance of being involved in Game 2 and 3.
“If you’re not 100 per cent confident and you have to put your body on the line and you’re concerned about it, it would be a problem.”
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Reece Walsh may have ruled himself out of Origin I.Source: Supplied
Maloney conceded the Blues would be happy not to see Walsh’s name in the team sheet, but feels it is the right call if the Broncos star was not 100 per cent fit.
“I think as a New South Welshman I am happy for Reece Walsh not to be there. If we’re talking about leg speed and as guys get tired the last thing you want is Kalyn Ponga, Hammer and Walsh somewhere that’s a scary prospect as people are getting tired on the field,” Maloney said.
“(But) if you’re not at full strength and you can’t train, you can’t do all that stuff and everything to the you know to your best abilities.
“If you got to sit out of sessions and different things, then it’s sort of you’re better off to go with someone who’s 100 per cent fit.”
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Earlier former Blues five-eighth Luke Keary felt there was more to Walsh’s omission than Slater was letting on, especially given Cameron Smith left him out of his Origin team weeks ago.
“Something doesn’t add up,” Keary said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.
“Last week Cam Smith, Queensland legend and very close friend of Billy Slater, named his Queensland team and it didn’t have Reece Walsh in it.
“Cam Smith works at the Brisbane Broncos as a leadership consultant, so he’s obviously close with Reece and that team, for him to not have (Walsh) in that team, it was very, very bizarre to me. Very bizarre.
“There’s something that doesn’t add up and I don’t know how to explain it.”
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Keary agreed that Walsh may have had a conversation with Slater that ruled him out of contention for game one.
“No way (was it form only),” Keary said.
“It’s obviously a conversation Billy will have with Reece in the background.
“I just find it very hard to believe that the Clive Churchill medallist, the best player in the Ashes series, he’s probably the best player, behind Nathan Cleary, when he’s on — and he hasn’t been off this year.
“He got injured, but he hasn’t been off, and Kalyn’s been injured too. This isn’t like Kalyn’s absolute lit up the competition.”
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