Sharks hooker Blayke Brailey is one step closer to a Blues debut after receiving an invite to an NSW planning camp this weekend.
Coach Laurie Daley will assemble a squad of around 30 current and emerging Blues on Saturday afternoon to begin the process of winning back the State of Origin shield.
Brailey was the form hooker in the second half of last season and earned a place in the Kangaroos Ashes touring squad. The 27-year-old is in a battle with Blues incumbent Reece Robson for the No.9 jersey.
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Debutant’s call
NSW took a 1-0 lead in 2025 before Queensland stunned their rivals with victories in Perth and Sydney to claim the shield.
While a number of old heads will be present on Saturday, Daley will also use the session to introduce a crop of emerging players such as Brailey to the Origin set up.
“It will be the first opportunity to talk to all of the guys together since Origin III,” Daley told NRL.com. “It will be good to outline what the year looks like and what the camps will be.
“There will be some players there that haven’t been part of an Origin game before, either in these camps or as a player that’s been in and around Origin as an 18th or 19th man but not played.
“It will be a new experience for some of them. There will be others who have been there before, but there will be some that have never been a part of it, so that will be good for them.”
The first 11 weeks of the season will play a major role in determining who lines up in a Blues jumper this year, with a host of positions up for grabs.
James Tedesco is pushing Dylan Edwards for the fullback role, with Mitchell Moses, Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai vying for a place in the halves.
A healthy Cam Muray and Latrell Mitchell will be in the mix, while Angus Crichton and Liam Martin face a battle to hold off Hudson Young, Jacob Preston and Haumole Olakau’atu in the back row.
The 2026 Origin series will kick off in Sydney on Wednesday May 27 before Game Two in Melbourne and a potential decider at Suncorp Stadium.
Tickets for the NSW Blatchys Blues supporter section went on sale on Thursday, with the hosts desperate for the northern end of Accor Stadium to again be painted blue.
The side’s recent record at home is not a good one, losing three of their last four at the venue. It’s a record Daley is determined to change as he looks to open the campaign with a win.
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2025 State of Origin Round Up
The coach is planning on mixing things up this season, with the Blue Mountains camp set to be discarded for a new approach to preparation.
Rather than spend a week in Leura before relocating a few days out from the match, the coach is eager to base his team closer to the host-city for each game.
Having spent a couple of years in the Blue Mountains, Daley said it was time to mix things up.
“It’s nothing specific other than just wanting a changeup,” Daley said. “The Blue Mountains were terrific, they were really good to us, I just thought it’s a chance to go into a fresh environment. It’s just a freshen up, a change for the team.”
Daley enters the 2026 campaign under plenty of pressure, having suffered a series defeat in his return to the coaching role in 2025.
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EVERY Payne Haas hitup from Origin Game 1
The Raiders legend has now won just one series from six as coach.
The Blues were hampered by injuries to key figures last season, with Saturday’s camp a chance to ensure a wider group of players are prepared if called upon throughout the campaign.
“There’s a lot of challenges that you experience throughout a series,” Daley said. “You rely on your staff and your players and you know you’ve got to stick to what you believe is the right thing to do.
“There’s always things you learn along the way and that’s something we’ll discuss with the group this weekend and see what their thoughts are. It’s hard, you finish the game and don’t really have a chance to debrief before the players go back to their clubs and move on to the next thing.
“That’s why this is such a good opportunity to see where they’re all at and they can see where we’re at with our plans for this year.”
The 2026 Ampol State of Origin series is not to be missed. Head to NRL.com/tickets for full details on how to witness Australia’s greatest sporting rivalry live.