![\"Addin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/addin-fonua-blake-plays-for-the-sharks-Y7JUE52CRVD5JM5BHXMCOB2BTM.jpg\")
<\/p>\nPenrith’s teenage sensation Casey McLean says he feels ready to embrace the best of both worlds and add a NSW State of Origin jersey to his New Zealand one.<\/p>\n
One of the stars amid Penrith’s red-hot form, McLean impressed again at left centre in their 50-10 mauling of Melbourne on Friday night.<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old now looms as one of up to eight Panthers in the running for Origin this year, with the team’s start to 2026 officially the best-ever through five rounds.<\/p>\n
McLean initially became ineligible for Origin when he debuted for New Zealand as an 18-year-old, impressing in every game in the Kiwis jersey.<\/p>\n
But changes to rugby league’s eligibility rules this year mean he can now play for both NSW and New Zealand, something he is eager to do.<\/p>\n
NSW have Stephen Crichton and Latrell Mitchell as first-choice centres, albeit with Crichton suffering a shoulder injury on Good Friday against South Sydney.<\/p>\n
But regardless, McLean felt he’d be ready if given the call from coach Laurie Daley, capable of playing either left or right edge.<\/p>\n
“At this club, you can’t really just put yourself down to be a one-dimensional, one side,” McLean said. <\/p>\n
“You can’t just limit yourself, so you’re going to have to be able to attack and defend on both sides.<\/p>\n
“If the phone call arose, I wouldn’t turn it down.<\/p>\n
“I’d hope to say (I’m ready). It just comes down to what’s right for the Blues. If that opportunity comes, I’ll take it with both hands.”<\/p>\n
If picked, Mclean would be NSW’s youngest player since Payne Haas in 2019.<\/p>\n
McLean said he had weighed up his representative future before debuting for New Zealand in 2024, but ultimately wanted to represent his father’s heritage.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Addin Fonua-Blake plays for the Sharks. (Source: Getty)<\/p>\n
Addin Fonua-Blake is another Kiwi who could debut for NSW this year, while Panther Scott Sorensen is also eligible.<\/p>\n
“I sat down with my parents and my family (in 2024) thinking what’s best for me, and they said whatever you think you want to do,” McLean said.<\/p>\n
“At that time the thought crossed my mind that it means I won’t able to represent the junior clubs in Penrith (by playing for NSW).<\/p>\n
“But I just wanted to represent my family and where I come from, my father back in New Zealand. That’s a big factor in why I play this game.”<\/p>\n
With McLean firing and his fast, swerving runs causing havoc, Penrith’s left edge is the most dangerous in the competition.<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old is a big reason why winger Tom Jenkins has scored a record 12 tries through the first five rounds.<\/p>\n
More remarkable is the fact it has come on a revamped left edge, with none of Jenkins, McLean, Isaiah Papali’i or Blaize Talagi having played in any of Penrith’s grand final wins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Penrith’s teenage sensation Casey McLean says he feels ready to embrace the best of both worlds and add…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":365272,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,111,43,139,577,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-365271","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-australia","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nrl","13":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/365272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}