Laurie Daley Leaves Jackson Ford Out For Origin One — When Is State Of Origin 2026
Both State of Origin teams dropped on Monday morning, and the response was immediate: “wait, what, say that again?” The biggest jolt came from the Blues, where Laurie Daley left out one of the form players of the competition for two players no one had in their predicted line up. That is why when is state of origin 2026 is suddenly tied to a selection call people are already arguing over.
Daley’s Blues Call
Daley picked Victor Radley and Jacob Saifiti ahead of Jackson Ford, and that choice shapes the argument around Origin One next Wednesday night. Ford should have been the first middle selected for the Blues, not one of the players pushed aside for a bench that looked built on cover rather than current output.
Ford’s case is built on production. The Warriors prop is trailing only Nathan Cleary in the Dally M count, averaging 180 run metres per game while tackling at 95%. He has four tries, six line-breaks and seven offloads across his ten games this year, numbers that are hard to leave out when a squad is being trimmed to Origin size.
Jackson Ford’s Numbers
He has also carried a workload that stands out even before the selection debate starts. Ford has played over 60 minutes in all of his 10 games this year, and he has reached 80 minutes on four occasions. That is not a depth piece profile. It is the profile of a middle forward doing more than just holding a spot.
The detail that makes Daley’s call harder to defend is that Ford was a career second rower until last season, yet he has still produced like a frontline prop. If the selection panel wanted a player who could cover second row, Radley offered that option. But the trade-off was leaving out a prop whose form line has been strong enough to be talked about as one of the obvious picks for next Wednesday night.
Slater’s Bench Mix
Queensland added its own confusion. Billy Slater named a bench that has even the biggest Broncos fan asking “what gives?”, and the article says there are a host of players absolutely screaming out for Origin selection who were overlooked. Dolphins star Kulikefu Finefeuiaki did not make the list because he can be elevated on the night, which only adds to the feeling that the Origin One teams were not settled cleanly on Monday morning.
The end result is simple: the first match of the series is already being judged through the players left out, not just the names picked. Ford is one of the clearest omissions, and Daley’s choice to go with Radley and Saifiti instead gives NSW a bench that prioritizes flexibility while leaving a standout middle on the outside looking in.
