Casey Mclean Lands NSW Interchange Spot for Origin Opener

casey mclean has been named on New South Wales’ interchange for the State of Origin opener against Queensland, putting the Kiwis and Penrith Panthers centre into the mix for game one. He was selected next week after growing up in New South Wales, under relaxed eligibility rules that now allow players who have lived in the state to qualify even if they have represented another country at test level.

NSW Picks McLean

New South Wales named its 20-player squad for game one of the three-match series, with McLean included on the interchange. Laurie Daley’s side will face Queensland in the opener on May 27, with kickoff set for 10pm NZT.

McLean was chosen along the same lines as Addin Fonua-Blake and Victor Radley. Fonua-Blake has represented both the Kiwis and Tonga internationally, while Radley has played for England since 2022. Those selections show how the eligibility shift has widened the pool for Origin sides this year.

Warriors Left Waiting

The selection call also left several Warriors names out of the frame. Jackson Ford had been widely tipped to make his Blues debut before being overlooked, while Mitch Barnett was the only Warriors player selected.

Wayde Egan was also overlooked in favour of Reece Robson and Blayke Brailey. That left New South Wales with one Warriors representative in Barnett, even as the squad moved to fill out a 20-player group for the opening game.

For McLean, the selection is the direct reward of being eligible under the revised rules and of having grown up in New South Wales. The opener now offers him a chance to push further into Origin contention while NSW starts its series against Queensland with a squad built around those relaxed criteria.