Laurie Daley has put ethan strange on a new track for game two at the MCG on Wednesday night, saying the Blues bench utility will come on and play in the second row. Strange had started in the series opener at five-eighth, but Mitchell Moses' return has pushed Daley toward a different use for a player with only 57 NRL games behind him.
Daley's back-row call
Daley said, "He'll come on and probably play the back-row," and then outlined the job he wants from Strange. "He's a strong runner," he said. "He's a guy that is dangerous when he runs the footy."
That is a sharp shift for a player whose NRL work has almost entirely come at five-eighth: 55 of his 57 games there, with two at centre. The move also gives NSW a way to keep Strange involved even after Moses' return changed the shape of the side for game two.
Series pressure at the MCG
The Blues won the opener after erasing a 20-6 deficit, and Daley's past four games in charge have produced 68 first-half points conceded and 26 scored. Hudson Young said NSW "missed the jump in game one," a blunt summary of the start that left the series result hanging on the second match.
Young added, "I think if you look at the start they scored 20 points in the first 15 minutes, that's not a great thing, but in hindsight they didn't score another point after that," which matches the broader problem Daley is trying to fix. Strange is part of that adjustment, with Daley saying, "So he will get an opportunity at some point just to carry the football and play to his strengths."
Raiders load on Sunday
Strange and Hudson Young were also named to back up from Wednesday night's State of Origin clash when the Raiders play the Storm in Melbourne on Sunday. Daley said, "That's what you want him to do," and added, "If he does that, I'll be really happy.''"
The call is practical, not decorative: NSW gets a bench option who can carry the ball in traffic, while Strange gets exposed to a role that is outside his normal NRL lane. For a match that could clinch the series, that is the point — keep him on the field, use the running game, and make the middle work harder for Melbourne's defense.
