LIVE: Blues boost as injured stars pass fitness test

The NSW squad doc has cleared the injured trio of Cameron Murray, Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker to beryllium picked by the Blues aft monitoring a fittingness trial connected Monday.

Blues doc Nathan Gibbs and physio Dan Lawson attended the fittingness trial held astatine Heffron Park, with the 3 stars each considered to beryllium connected way to instrumentality their spot successful the NSW broadside for Origin II if selected.

"They're each connected way to play successful 10 days' time, if picked, but the contented volition beryllium they volition person constricted grooming starring up to the game," Gibbs told The Sydney Morning Herald. "It volition beryllium up to the manager if helium takes them connected with that proviso.

"Cam was capable to bash straight-line running, immoderate broadside to broadside running, conscionable immoderate casual agility drills. Cody did straight-line drills, portion Latrell did immoderate indoor work, loading up the calf and getting immoderate spot into it successful mentation of moving extracurricular connected Wednesday.

"The 3 of them would implicit rehab moving connected Wednesday, modified squad integration Friday, past afloat velocity Sunday."

Billy Slater's property league is finished.

The Maroons present hunker down successful campy up of adjacent week's crippled astatine Suncorp Stadium, wherever they tin triumph the series.

Dane Gagai is different Origin seasoned who hasn't been with the Maroons this year.

He's available, but is being overlooked for the younger Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

"Gags is ever successful the conversation, he's a large footballer," Slater says.

"Right present we're assured successful the players that are successful this gathering present down us. They are each acceptable to go."

Billy Slater says Corey Horsburgh is precise adjacent to making his Origin debut, though volition request an wounded successful campy to bash truthful adjacent week.

He and AJ Brimson are successful the extended squad.

"We don't conscionable enactment radical successful those positions for the involvement of it, they person to gain it, and Corey has done that," Slater says.

"They are not conscionable present to marque up the numbers. If needed we person assurance to spot them tally retired successful a Maroons jersey."

The Eels and Bulldogs play this afternoon, but Billy Slater was not going to hold to sanction his side.

"I thought it was close to talk to those players earlier they heard it elsewhere," helium says.

"We've ne'er picked our squad based connected what the absorption has, and I'm definite they don't."

No Felise Kaufusi, No Christian Welch (suspended), and nary Josh Papalii (retired from Origin).

Billy Slater is asked if this is simply a generational power for the Maroons.

"We're looking for the champion Queenslanders to bash their occupation for Queensland," helium says.

"We look for the champion idiosyncratic for that role. Sometimes they are pugnacious decisions, sometimes they are evident decisions.

"I'm comfy with the players person successful this squad, they person each earned this opportunity."

Billy Slater explains wherefore Felise Kaufusi was overlooked contempt being disposable for this game.

"It was surely a consideration. We conscionable consciousness this is the champion ingredients for america for this game," helium said.

"Felise has done a large occupation successful this Maroons jersey, it's conscionable a shame helium hasn't been playing footy the past month.

"We felt this was the champion option."

Kaufusi was suspended earlier crippled one.

Jeremiah Nanai volition alternatively enactment up connected the backrow aft Tom Gilbert's injury.

Xavier Coates, Mo Fotuaika and Jeremiah Nanai travel into the team.

"Xavier has been playing fantastic footy, helium was progressive successful the bid past year," Slater says.

"I've been watching Mo for rather a portion now... you request 2 things to hap to beryllium successful this arena, the archetypal is to beryllium susceptible and past you request an accidental to get you there.

"There is an accidental for Mo now. I deliberation he's playing arsenic bully arsenic I've ever seen him play. It was a bully telephone call."