Maroons gamble as Blues play safe - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Maroons gamble as Blues play safe

By Brent Read 17/05/2004 09:47:02 PM Comments (0)

Queensland rolled the dice on captain Darren Lockyer while the Blues picked six new faces, including shock selection Ben Hornby, after refusing to gamble on a host of injured players.

Lockyer cracked a rib in the Anzac Day Test but was named in an 18-man squad by Queensland selectors for the first State of Origin game on May 26 at Telstra Stadium.

The Maroons skipper may be given until next Monday to prove his fitness but admitted he wasn't sure whether he would be ready to play.

"I've done all the training except the contact work and it hasn't bothered me," Lockyer said.

"It might be different when someone actually hits me.

"I just want to get it X-rayed now and see how much it (break) has mended over the past three weeks.

"If the doctor says on Wednesday there's `no chance' then I'll pull the pin.

"But if he says it might be right in another week and I can have it injected and get through the game without doing further damage to it, then I'll press on."

The Maroons also selected four debutants - Panthers duo Rhys Wesser and Ben Ross, Melbourne flyer Billy Slater and halfback Scott Prince.

But that paled in comparison to NSW, which plumped for six rookies including Hornby.

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