Addin Fonua-blake Leads New South Wales With Two Origin Debuts

addin fonua-blake will make his New South Wales State of Origin debut on Wednesday night, starting at prop in Game One alongside Tolu Koula. The move gives New South Wales two debutants with Pacific roots in the same series opener, while Payne Haas sits out with a knee injury.

Fonua-Blake And Daley

Before selection, Laurie Daley spoke with Fonua-Blake about whether Origin was right for him. His answer was direct: "Yeah, 100 per cent, I'm all in" and "I want to wear the jersey and I want to do it proud."

Fonua-Blake has already played internationally for New Zealand and Tonga, and he said the scale of the occasion still registered when the call came. "Watching the game over the years you get a bit envious of the build-up and all the accolades that come with wearing this jumper… I know how physical the game is and I’m up for it…" he said. "I'm just grateful that I'm here now and I want to put my best foot forward."

Koula On The Wing

Koula is 23 and has only played centre and fullback at NRL level for the Manly Sea Eagles, who sit fourth. This call pushes him into a different job on the wing next to Brian To'o, and he has already sounded comfortable with the switch.

"It's not too different from centre. I'm not too fazed about it," Koula said. "Just a few more yardage carries and having to defuse bombs and stuff. Probably a bit less tackling… there are different things but, at the same time, it is a bit the same as well… I'm just grateful to play anywhere that's needed."

Pasifika Presence In Origin

The selections also sit inside a broader Pacific presence across the series. Stephen Crichton, Kotoni Staggs, Haumole Olakau’atu and Jacob Saifiti are the other New South Wales players named with Pacific heritage, while Queensland has four of its starting 13 carrying Pasifika heritage.

That group gives Game One a different look before kick-off on Wednesday night. For New South Wales, the immediate task is simple: get a debut prop into the front row and a 23-year-old winger into a role he has not played at NRL level, with Haas unavailable and the series opener carrying the first answer to both calls.