NSW five-eighth Mitchell Moses has declared \u201cI\u2019m ready to go\u201d as he looks to take his place in the Blues side after a frustrating hamstring injury kept him sidelined for a month.<\/p>\n
Moses will finally play his second match with Nathan Cleary in the halves after a false start just 48 hours before the Origin opener when the Eels star suffered the first hamstring injury of his career in camp.<\/p>\n
He was ruled out the following day with Ethan Strange coming in and starring on his NSW debut, but coach Laurie Daley put his trust in Moses and named him to start in Melbourne on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Moses hasn\u2019t played a game since the Eels lost to Melbourne on May 16, and while he didn\u2019t complete all the sessions last week, he\u2019s declared himself a certain starter as the Blues look to clinch the series at the MCG. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think you (the media) have been talking about it a lot more,\u201d Moses said on Monday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI fully understand (why it\u2019s been the biggest focus) because there\u2019s no hiding from it, but I\u2019m confident in myself that I can go out there and do a good job.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m confident in myself that I\u2019ve put the work in and I\u2019m in a good position at the moment to be able to perform on Wednesday night.\u201d<\/p>\n
The injury to his left hamstring won\u2019t affect his kicking leg, with Moses confident he and Cleary will gel despite only playing one game together in last year\u2019s series before a calf injury in Blues camp ended his campaign. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s got nothing to do with that leg. It\u2019s my plant leg, but I\u2019ll be fine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hamstring was a scratch in my hammy. It was disappointing, but it is what it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not too worried about the combinations because I feel like we\u2019re pretty OK there. It\u2019s not ideal missing the first session in camp last week, but it is what it is.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like we put a lot of work in the first camp and I\u2019ve obviously played with Nathan and everyone else, so I felt pretty comfortable coming in and going into this game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having Moses fully fit is a huge relief for the Blues who were rocked on Saturday when young gun Casey McLean went down with a quadriceps injury in their final session before they flew to Melbourne.<\/p>\n
McLean made his Origin debut off the bench in game one and was terrific after coming on for Tolu Koula, who was whacked in the head by Kalyn Ponga, who was sent off.<\/p>\n
McLean was named to start in Melbourne in place of Stephen Crichton (AC joint), but his injury has opened the door for Mark Nawaqanitawase to make his Blues debut after he was originally named on the bench. <\/p>\n
It comes six weeks after the human highlight reel downplayed his Origin chances when asked about it at a Roosters media opportunity at Bondi Beach before he had his own setback.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then to go and get injured that week! I\u2019ve got no words, it\u2019s crazy,\u201d he said of his journey. <\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to the medical staff at the Roosters who looked after me and got me ready for one of the games before this Origin.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was lucky enough to get the call, so I\u2019m going to go out there and have some fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
The former Wallaby is heading back to rugby union at the end of the year, but he\u2019s out to make the most of his opportunity having done it all on the world stage.<\/p>\n
Nawaqanitawase is prone to making errors, but it\u2019s only because he\u2019s trying something that he\u2019ll be encouraged to do on Wednesday after he returned with a bang with three tries in his first game back from injury for the Roosters. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to do a backflip,\u201d he joked when asked if he had something planned. <\/p>\n
\u201cI honestly don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen. I\u2019m just going to run the ball, make tackles if I need to make tackles and do the job I need to do. I want to get involved, but at the same time I\u2019ve got to do my job.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a team around me with players who can do anything, but if I just do my job, I\u2019m sure it can help my team do what we need to get the win.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard how intense and physical the game is, so I\u2019ve got to make sure I can breathe and at the same time focus because we\u2019re coming up against a quality side with a number of talented players.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got to make sure I\u2019m not taking a break or anything like that, but at the same time I have to soak it all in because it\u2019s State of Origin. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve grown up watching and I\u2019ve imagined being a part of it, but now I\u2019m actually here.\u201d<\/p>\n