#Macclean 3 reviews series

He also said Latrell MitchellвЂ™s decision to rule himself out of contention after his comeback from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for 12 weeks had saved another tough decision. Fittler felt it was too hard to displace Matt Burton after his stunning Origin debut В©NRL Photos

вЂњIf he is our 18th player then the other 17 are obviously playing well.вЂќДЄsked if he was playing mind games and would consider a late change, Fittler said: вЂњI donвЂ™t want to outsmart myselfвЂќ. вЂњThat was a tough one but I think the versatility that Sifa gives us on the bench is most probably the reason we went with Sifa instead of Jack,вЂќ Fittler said. Wighton missed the 44-12 triumph in Perth due to COVID and was expected to come back into the team but Fittler was loathe to drop Matt Burton from the left centre role and Talakai offers the ability to play as a middle or edge forward, as well as centre if needed.

#Macclean 3 reviews series

The loss of Haas may have been in a factor in FittlerвЂ™s decision to stick with Siosifa Talakai on the interchange ahead of Jack Wighton, who had been NSWвЂ™s best player in the series opening 16-10 loss at Accor Stadium. The loss of Haas is likely to impact NSW's interchange rotation В©NRL Photos

However, replacing Haas is going to be a big ask and Fittler admitted he would need to review his interchange rotation as the injured Bronco plays long minutes and has a high work-rate. Their whole club has been unbelievable this year, not only are they winning games but the spirit they are showing - and he has been a big part of that.вЂќ вЂњWith what he has been doing for the Cowboys, he is a bit of an unsung hero for them.

вЂњI think there is a lot of messages there for different players вЂ“ if you are getting to 30 it is never too late, if you are a young person then playing in a successful team is the best way to go forward. вЂњI know Tony Butterfield was older and I had a lot of time with Tony, so hopefully he has as big an impact as Tony,вЂќ Fittler said. The Young Cherry Pickers junior, who won a premiership with the Storm in 2017, is the fifth oldest Blues debutant after Tony Butterfield, Max Krillich, Hazem El Masri and Matt Prior. When Broncos front-rower Payne Haas succumbed to shoulder and ankle injuries, Fittler didn't hesitate to hand McLean his Origin debut.ДЄfter being a member of the Kangaroos squad for the 2017 World Cup, McLean joins a select group of players to have represented Australia before playing Origin. McLean was included in a 20-man NSW squad in 2017 under Daley but that was as close as he had come to pulling on a Blues jersey until Fittler chose him in an extended squad for Origin II. вЂњWithout a doubt I think his form over the last couple of years wasnвЂ™t that great, most probably because along with the North Queensland team, and they were finishing near the bottom end of the ladder.вЂќ вЂњA long time ago I remember talking to some people in a room and he was one of those young players about to make his debut, but he never quite got there,вЂќ Fittler said. McLean joins a select group to have played for Australia before playing Origin В©NRL Photos A number of other forwards were under consideration and Daley sought the opinions of Fittler and another former NSW captain and coach, Wayne Pearce, as well as Sterling.