Daley has shot at rare long-term NSW Origin stability

The main question before the Perth clash for NSW is how to replace Mitchell Barnett, the Warriors prop who laid the foundation for the Blues in game one, following his ruptured ACL.

Stefano Utoikamanu remains the front-runner, after acting as back up for Payne Haas and his problematic quad ahead of the series opener.

Keaon Koloamatangi is the other candidate, considered a more like-for-like option after being the form prop of the NRL at South Sydney for the past month.

Last year's captain Jake Trbojevic won't be recalled in Barnett's spot, after being unavailable for the Origin I win in Brisbane through concussion.

Regardless, Daley will have the luxury of calling in a player with Origin experience, with Utoikamanu and Koloamatangi havoing debuted for NSW in 2023.

NSW's incumbent 18th man Campbell Graham is also under an injury cloud after missing South Sydney's loss to Canberra on Sunday with back spasms.

The Blues are expected to name an otherwise unchanged side for Origin II, unless other players go down in the final matches of round 14.

That will mean Daley picked just one debutant across the first two matches, with Max King the sole rookie for game one in Brisbane.

NSW have only once gone through the first two games of a series with one or less debutants, in 1991 when there were still mass changes across the team.

This situation is already in direct contrast to last year, when the Blues axed four players and Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii was suspended after their series-opening loss.

Queensland are also in a state of flux, with Daly Cherry-Evans, the Maroons' captain and most experienced player in their squad, set to be dropped.

Daley is, by his nature, a loyal selector.

In his last stint as NSW coach he routinely opted against mass changes, and stuck with the same 17 for his entire last series in 2017.

Playing into his hands this time is that he has returned to a team set up for success, after they roared back to life to win last year's series-decider in Brisbane.

The age of the Blues' group also gives Daley a chance to set up for long-term stability, with Barnett the oldest player in the game-one squad at age 31. Isaah Yeo and Mitch Moses are the only other members to have turned 30.

Daley's main immediate hurdle in terms of those age considerations is the NRL's round-14 schedule.

Four Blues are slated to feature for the Bulldogs and Eels in Stephen Crichton, Zac Lomax, Moses and King.

NSW will take a 20-man squad to Perth but the 19th and 20th men will be able to play NRL next weekend.

Manly's Haumole Olakau'atu will retain his spot in the extended squad, after being a reserve last game along with Graham and Utoikamanu.