State of Origin 2020: NSW Blues, Queensland Maroons announce squads

Author: Chris Kennedy NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp: Mon 26 Oct 2020, 12:13 AM

Clive Churchill Medal winner Ryan Papenhuyzen is one of several new faces in line to make their State of Origin debut after NSW and Queensland announced the final additions to their squads following the NRL grand final.

Melbourne have been rewarded for their premiership win with seven players called into the squads while six Panthers received some consolation after their grand final loss by being told they would be required for state duty.

As expected, Josh Addo-Carr and Papenhuyzen will head to the NSW camp during the week while Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Brenko Lee, Christian Welch, Felise Kaufusi and Cameron Munster will be joining Queensland's squad.

For Penrith, Kurt Capewell was added to the Maroons squad while grand final teammates Stephen Crichton, Liam Martin, Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and Isaah Yeo have been named by the Blues.

While it will be hard to displace James Tedesco from the NSW fullback role, Papenhuyzen could do a job elsewhere in the 17, according to his coach, Craig Bellamy.

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"[Papenhuyzen] has really matured this year, I'm sure he'd be the first one to say he's had a lot of help off Billy [Slater] and he's been very grateful for that," Bellamy said.

"He can play a few other places and he's tough as nails and he'll give you some X-factor for a couple of other positions as well so I'm sure Freddie will be looking at him pretty hard to play on the bench.

"Tino went in leaps and bounds this year. Unfortunately he won't be with us, he's played his last game for the club tonight but he's been outstanding all year for a guy his age.

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"He was our only player coming to round 20 who played every game, he's done a tremendous job for us this year.

"Brenko only came to us this year. It's a great credit to him he'd be considered for Queensland selection this year. I'm really happy for them."

An emotional Brenko Lee told NRL.com he was speechless at the news.

"I'm lost for words; I can't believe it," Lee said.

"I was at a crossroads, now I have a ring and I'm about to roll into Origin camp. I'm grateful to be called into Origin camp because Queensland means the world to me."

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, while despondent at the grand final result, praised the efforts of his Origin debutants and the benefit their experience could add to Penrith next year.

"I'm really happy for them, all of them thoroughly deserve it," he said.

"It is a bit of cold comfort but all those individuals can sit back and say 'I've earned my spot in the biggest game around'.

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"It's only going to help our team as well, it shows all those young boys have made some incredible strides this year as a team.

"We'll have to wait for the pre-season [to reap the benefits as a club] but I'm looking forward to it as well."

NSW coach Brad Fittler said in the Channel 9 post-match coverage that no players suffered injuries in Sunday's grand final win.

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Fittler said he was close to knowing what he wanted his 17-man line-up for Origin I to be and would give Tedesco as much time as he needed to get over his knee injury.

Luai was a surprising selection but Fittler said he was "a player of the future for NSW" and "one of the most energetic players" in the NRL finals.

His inclusion was welcomed by his club halves partner, Nathan Cleary.

"It's definite a silver lining, all the boys found out after the game, especially someone like Romey, it's his first year in first grade so to be picked in the Blues squad he's super pumped," Cleary said.

Lee, Fa’asuamaleaui and Capewell are yet to play Origin football, taking the tally of uncapped Maroons in this year’s squad to 17, which means their team for Origin I will have at least seven debutants.

The Origin series kicks off at the Adelaide Oval on November 4, followed by game two in Sydney on November 11 and the series finale at Suncorp Stadium on November 18.