Daley Weighs Edwards, Tedesco for Origin Game 1

Laurie Daley has pushed the origin game 1 fullback call back to the weekend, with Dylan Edwards and James Tedesco still in the frame as NSW prepares to name its squad on Monday morning. The Blues coach said there are “a couple of contentious ones” and wants “to give ourselves the last moment” before locking in the team.

Edwards And Tedesco

The fullback decision has narrowed to Edwards and Tedesco, and Daley made clear he sees a case either way. “I think at the end of the day, it’s just a matter of who we think will play how we want to play and they’re both capable of doing that,” he said.

He was even blunter about the difficulty of the choice. “That’s what’s clouded the decision. Whatever way we go, we can’t lose.”

Tedesco adds the weight of being the 2025 Dally M Medallist, while Edwards remains the incumbent. That leaves NSW weighing current form against a player who has already handled the role for the Blues.

Daley’s Selection Tightrope

Daley said the final call will not just be about the No.1 jersey. Kotoni Staggs has been floated as a possible right centre, and Stephen Crichton sits among the names in the mix as selection pressure builds across the outside backs.

“There’s a couple of contentious ones. There’s a couple of ones that we want to be sure with and we want to give ourselves the last moment,” Daley said. He added: “I think some days you’re sitting there thinking which way will we go? We’ve had a lot of conversation, but we’ll just see what happens on the weekend.”

He also said suspended players will still be considered for selection, which keeps more than one pathway open as NSW finalises Game One. Daley said he weighs leadership and intangibles when he makes those calls, and he put extra emphasis on what a player has already done at Origin level.

Incumbency And Intangibles

“I think you weigh up everything. I think you weigh up leadership,” Daley said, before adding: “The aura that someone has in a group and without taking about Critta in particular, I think some of those intangibles are what you’re looking for because you know that on that stage they will deliver because they’ve done it in the past.”

He also pointed to the value of a player who has already held a place. “That’s the thing about incumbency … nothing’s guaranteed, but that carries a lot of weight with someone that’s performed at that level.”

For NSW, the next step is simple: the squad goes in on Monday morning, but the last few calls are being held back until the weekend. That leaves the fullback jersey, at least one outside-back spot and the status of suspended players as the major decisions still to land before Game One.