Returning New South Wales coach Laurie Daley announced an overhauled 20-man squad for Game 1 of the 2026 State of Origin series, introducing six debutants ahead of the May 27 opener at Sydney’s Accor Stadium. The roster shuffle follows the NRL’s recent decision to scrap the tiered nation eligibility system and introduce a six-man interchange bench. These policy changes opened the door for dual-eligible international players to finally represent the Blues as they look to avenge their 2-1 series loss to Queensland in 2025.
James Tedesco headlines the squad, reclaiming the starting fullback position from 2025 incumbent Dylan Edwards. This marks the 33-year-old Roosters captain’s 24th Origin appearance after he missed the entirety of the previous campaign. Daley admitted making the phone call to drop Edwards was the toughest decision of his tenure, but Tedesco’s elite club form ultimately secured his return.
The six fresh faces for New South Wales include Addin Fonua-Blake, Victor Radley, Tolu Koula, Blayke Brailey, Ethan Strange, and Casey McLean. Dylan Lucas is listed as the 20th man reserve. Fonua-Blake and Radley previously represented New Zealand and England, respectively, but the NRL’s relaxed international eligibility rules allowed Daley to bring them into the fold. Daley publicly defended his decision to select Radley on the interchange bench over in-form forwards like Jackson Ford. Despite persistent questions regarding Radley’s disciplinary record in the NRL, Daley embraced the enforcer’s aggressive playstyle. “I picked Victor to be Victor,” Daley told reporters. “I don’t have to have a conversation with Victor. I love everything he brings. He brings intent, physicality, and I think a lot of people, when they’ve watched Victor Radley over the last few years, would’ve loved to see him in this arena – now he’s eligible.”
Tolu Koula secured a starting wing spot alongside Brian To’o. Koula takes the position previously held by Zac Lomax, who recently departed rugby league for a code switch. The new six-man interchange bench gave Daley the tactical flexibility to carry two specialist playmakers. Strange and Brailey will serve as immediate cover for the halves and hooker positions if starting playmakers Nathan Cleary or Mitchell Moses suffer an injury during the match.
The Queensland Maroons responded with their own major roster adjustments for the series opener. Head coach Billy Slater dropped star fullback Reece Walsh, opting instead to start Kalyn Ponga at the back. Slater also handed Roosters playmaker Sam Walker his Origin debut in the No. 7 jersey, bringing him in to replace injured halfback Tom Dearden.