Eight Blues players are confirmed for the State of Origin opener, with key positions still undecided before the Magic Round.
Eight Blues players have been locked in as certainties for the State of Origin series opener with the NRL's annual Magic Round set to prove the tiebreaker for several key positions in the NSW team.
Coach Laurie Daley will name what is expected to be a 20-man squad on Monday morning, with 12 selections still uncertain for game one at Accor Stadium on May 27.
It is understood that Parramatta's Mitchell Moses has won the battle to partner Penrith maestro Nathan Cleary in the halves, beating Wests Tigers' Jarome Luai and Canberra's Ethan Strange to the five-eighth position, although the latter may be named on the bench to make his Origin debut.
Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton is well in the frame but, like his team, his form has dipped in recent weeks and it's understood a two-game suspension won't necessarily damage the chances of Brisbane's Kotini Staggs. Staggs may now be slightly ahead of Crichton heading into Magic Round.