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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n For the first time since making his State of Origin debut, Stephen Crichton wasn\u2019t an automatic Blues selection.<\/p>\n A grade-five AC shoulder joint injury, the most severe of its kind, suffered against the Rabbitohs in round five sidelined Crichton for two games. By his own admission, the Canterbury captain\u2019s form has been off the mark since returning.<\/p>\n \u201cIt hasn\u2019t been where I probably want it to be,\u201d Crichton conceded.<\/p>\n However, the bigger the stage, the better Crichton plays. Whether it\u2019s scoring four tries in as many grand final appearances – including the match-winning intercept in the 2021 decider – or heroics at Test and Origin level, \u201cCritter\u201d has a history of stepping up when it matters.<\/p>\n Which is why NSW coach Laurie Daley declared he could \u201ctrust\u201d Crichton and he was \u201calways going to be in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n However, this series marks unfamiliar territory for the star centre given Canterbury\u2019s indifferent form and his own, the latter which has been hampered by the shoulder injury that still requires a needle before every game.<\/p>\n With centre options Latrell Mitchell, Bradman Best and Campbell Graham unavailable due to injury, Daley decided to stick with Crichton despite the first mini-form dip of his career.<\/p>\n \u201cIt means a lot,\u201d Crichton, who hasn\u2019t missed an Origin since making his debut in 2022, said.<\/p>\n Related Article \u201cYou never know when it\u2019s going to be your last time that you get to strap up for the jersey.<\/p>\n \u201cTo still get the opportunity, even though I probably haven\u2019t been at my best, just shows that I can be there and that I can do my job too.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my job now to return the favour and train really hard this week and put in a performance and show them why I did get picked.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if he was concerned he could be overlooked for Origin I, Crichton said: \u201cOh yeah, but I haven\u2019t really been worrying about Origin from the start [of the year] and these last couple of games.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been training really hard at the Dogs and trying to get results there, still searching for that too.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I haven\u2019t really been worrying about it. I feel like results will take care of itself and I\u2019ve always been a massive believer in that as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Crichton said he will emerge a better player and person for coming through a trying period with the Bulldogs, who are on a five-game losing streak.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably been a bit of a struggle, but you learn the most about yourself through the struggling times,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n![\"NSW](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dd58a5ba5663d30c73f5306842fa5839098f87c9.jpeg\")
NSW centre Stephen Crichton.Sitthixay Ditthavong<\/p>\n![\"NSW](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779158414_653_02a0a274d5901fbc3a9f75ae492ac335d343eedd.jpeg\")
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