Tevita Pangai will debut for NSW in State of Origin I after Jake Trbojevic's problematic calf prompted the Manly star to rule himself out of the series opener.
Trbojevic looked set to be picked for the May 31 clash in Adelaide before reporting calf soreness in his NRL comeback game on Sunday afternoon.
That prompted a last-minute change of plan for NSW coach Brad Fittler, calling Pangai into the squad as one of three debutants alongside Cronulla's Nicho Hynes and Canberra's Hudson Young.