Stephen Crichton Named for Canterbury-bankstown Bulldogs After Origin 2 Withdrawal
Stephen Crichton was named for the canterbury-bankstown bulldogs against Manly on Saturday night after withdrawing from NSW’s State of Origin 2 squad just hours after being selected. The Bulldogs captain’s availability keeps him in club colors while NSW reshapes its Origin plans around a shoulder problem that has limited his week-to-week workload.
Crichton and the Bulldogs
Crichton has been battling a shoulder injury for weeks, and the issue has already cut into his preparation. He has reportedly only been training once a week with the Bulldogs, and his time in NSW camp would have been even more restricted because Laurie Daley said he would not have been able to do any contact sessions.
That leaves the Bulldogs with their captain available for the Manly match, but it also underlines why the NSW call mattered. He had been named in the Origin 2 squad before withdrawing, and the timing turned a routine selection update into a bigger squad change for both teams.
Laurie Daley and NSW
Daley was happy to take Mitch Moses into camp despite Moses not being able to do the bulk of training, which made Crichton’s situation stand out even more. Justin Horo said he believes Crichton was dropped for State of Origin 2, adding: “No. I don’t think it got enough media attention [that he was actually dropped].”
Horo also said: “He said ‘Critta’ wouldn’t be able to do any contact sessions so he’s unavailable.” The same discussion also included Horo quoting Daley on Moses: “we’re just going to monitor him and get him through.”
Origin 2 changes
The selection shift comes against a broader NSW reshuffle. Casey McLean suffered a quad injury and was ruled out, Tolu Koula will shift to centre, and Mark Nawaqanitawase will debut on the wing.
For Crichton, the immediate result is simpler: he is in the Bulldogs side for Saturday night, after playing every game for the club since Game 1 of State of Origin. He also set up a try for Ethan Strange in State of Origin 1, but this week’s decision keeps the focus on whether his shoulder holds up as NSW and Canterbury-Bankstown manage the strain on both fronts.
