Overview
- Moses pulled up with hamstring tightness after an opposed training session on the Central Coast and was sent for scans, with sources reporting the issue on Monday.
- Scans confirmed on Tuesday that Moses cannot play in Wednesday’s Game One, so coach Laurie Daley has promoted 21-year-old Ethan Strange to start at five-eighth.
- Canterbury playmaker Matt Burton was rushed into the 20-player NSW squad as bench and standby cover, a move announced as subject to approval by the Australian Rugby League Commission.
- Blues medical staff gave an early prognosis of a minor hamstring strain that could sideline Moses for several weeks, which may also affect his availability for upcoming NRL matches.
- Strange arrives with recent representative experience and strong endorsements from senior coaches, while Moses’s camp history of soft-tissue issues raises concern about his short-term fitness and the Blues’ halves combinations.