21-man squads for State of Origin Game I

Drew Darbyshire

Queensland and New South Wales have named their squads for the first game of this year’s State of Origin series.

Ryan Papenhuyzen and Dale Finucane have been ruled out of the first match with calf strains.

James Tedesco has been named at full-back for Brad Fittler’s Blues while Luke Keary will partner Nathan Cleary in the halves.

Maroons coach Wayne Bennett is set to hand debuts to eight players at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday – AJ Brimson, Brenko Lee, Xavier Coates, Phillip Sami, Jake Freind, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Lindsay Collins and Jaydn Su’A.

Cameron Munster and Daly Cherry-Evans will start in the halves for Queensland, with Christian Welch and Josh Papalii in the front-row.

Queensland: Brimson; Coates, B Lee, Gagai, Sami; Munster, Cherry-Evans; Welch, Friend, Papalii, Kaufusi, Hess, Fa’asuamaleaui. Subs: B Hunt, Collins, Arrow, Su’A. Reserves: Capewell, Fotuaika, Lui, H Hunt.

New South Wales: Tedesco; Tupou, Gutherson, Wighton, Addo-Carr; Keary, Cleary; D Saifiti, Cook, Paulo, Cordner, Frizell, J Trbojevic. Subs: Walker, Haas, Murray, A Crichton. Reserves: McInnes, Campbell-Gillard, Brown, Lomax.

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