If Origin was picked today, this would be my NSW team

No Payne Haas, no Liam Martin, no Tom Trbojevic. They are important losses for NSW.

But the big question, which will really determine how NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley selects his team and who replaces those players, is how will the game be refereed?

Will it be refereed the same as we’ve seen in the opening seven rounds of the NRL? Because if that’s the case, it’s going to really affect the selection of the front row – the middle forwards – and how they’re going to attack.

I’ve seen – and played in – many rep games, and the key is to pick players who complement the game plan, because one Origin camp is not enough time to make players totally change the way they play.

Given how the game is currently being played – and refereed – this is who would be in my NSW team for Origin I.

A shake-up for the starting side

For me, it’s James Tedesco at fullback.

Similar to Dylan Edwards, Teddy’s workload is exceptional – it’s like having an extra forward – but he has a better passing game than Edwards and at 33 years old, he’s playing as well as ever.

Brian To’o has one wing locked down, and I think the other one should either go to Mark Nawaqanitawase or Jacob Kiraz.

With “Marky Mark”, there will be moments when your heart is in your mouth, but the coaches need to sit him down and tell him that when he’s coming out of trouble in his own end, he needs to avoid offloads and stay away from the sideline.

He’s a big body and he’s incredible in the air, which is the same for Kiraz, who is a very similar player and is among the league leaders for offloads this season.

Until last week, I had Tolutau Koula at left centre, but Latrell Mitchell was absolutely devastating against the Dragons last weekend with four tries, and if Mitchell plays at centre then Koula can always wear the No.18 jersey.

I have Kotoni Staggs at right centre. The big thing that stood out for me last weekend when Staggs played the Tigers was his defence. Normally, he’s a really attack-oriented player, but I thought defensively he was really strong and aggressive.

When it comes to the halves, they pick themselves: Mitchell Moses at six and Nathan Cleary at seven. And I think Cleary should be named captain this year.

Haas is a huge loss for NSW because even with the quicker ruck you need to play one big front-rower. For me, that has to be Addin Fonua-Blake. He will produce that go-forward the team needs, and on the back of him you’ve got Isaah Yeo and Cameron Murray – who has the quickest play-the-ball in the competition and I think should wear the No.13 jersey.

People will say that Yeo should be at 13, but with him, there’s no difference between wearing 13, 8, or 10 – they’re all middle forwards. The only difference for Murray and Yeo is they’d be playing off the back of Fonua-Blake – he’s the one who will lay the platform with that first play.

With those middles, Cleary and Moses are on the ball. They’re not playing off Murray or Yeo – the middle forwards are going forward with quick play-the-balls.

I’ve got Reece Robson at hooker, and he’ll play 80 minutes, as he usually does at the Roosters.

In the back row, I have Hudson Young on the left and either Jacob Preston or Haumole Olakau’atu on the right. Young provides that serious X-factor that can produce tries, but he just needs to work on his discipline.

The case for Adam Doueihi, and who joins him on the bench

In jersey 14 is Adam Doueihi.

Laurie has plenty of options in that utility role – Connor Watson, Tyran Wishart and you could even pick Matt Burton – but I just think Doueihi is in great form.

He’s a bigger body, he can play seven or six, he can play centre, he can play fullback, he can play lock, he can play in the back row – he could even play a small window at dummy half if it was needed.

There are plenty of good options to join Doueihi on the bench, including Keaon Koloamatangi, Mitch Barnett, Jackson Ford, Spencer Leniu, and then either Preston or Olakau’atu could be there too depending on who you pick to play on the edge – plenty of lightweight middles who have heaps of speed and can move laterally across the field.

Finally, in No.19 I’d have Api Koroisau.

The upside-down NRL season so far

In the off-season you get flogged for four months, but you get your body right, and you’re rock-hard fit.

During the season, it’s all about recovery and looking after your body. But 80 per cent of preparation is mental because the game is played between the ears.

Two weeks ago, the Dolphins had 52 points on them at home by Manly, and then they came out after the bye and took Penrith to golden point.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs scored 32 points and beat Penrith in round six when people were predicting the Panthers could go through season undefeated.

Then, the Bulldogs got smashed by the Eels, who were embarrassed at home a week earlier and had 52 points put on them by the Titans before the coach, Jason Ryles, came out and gave them a huge spray.

Players respond to being humiliated, especially at home, and the embarrassment makes them come out and turn it around.

The top players can get themselves up every week and even in their quieter games they are a seven out of 10.

The challenge for young players, and players with limited ability, is to be able to get up week in, week out. It’s easy to do it one week – especially when you’ve had a kick in the backside – but the challenge is to do it every week.

I’ll be watching the Dolphins and Warriors match with interest this weekend. There’s more travel for the Dolphins, they’re playing in Wellington at the bottom of the New Zealand’s North Island, and they’re coming from the extreme heat and golden point disappointment of Darwin to a city that has been ravaged by flooding this week. This week will be a test of their mental strength.

It will also be a real test for Parramatta trying to back up their win when they play the Sea Eagles at Brookvale on Sunday, and it will be interesting to see if the Bulldogs can find their bite again when they head to Suncorp to play a depleted Broncos side.

Brisbane are decimated by injury and suspension, particularly in the middle with no Haas, no Corey Jensen and no Pat Carrigan. It’s very difficult to win without your star players, but they did it last week. The Bulldogs are coming off a surprising loss, they get skipper Stephen Crichton back and I think defensively they’ll be much better this week.

The Tigers on Thursday night have a short turnaround after their loss last week, but the weather will be good, and they’ll have a huge amount of support out at Leichhardt Oval.

The Raiders have won 10 of their past 11 matches against the Tigers, but Canberra are missing Hudson Young to suspension and the Tigers bench looks much stronger.

Joey’s tip: Tigers by 8
Man of the match: Adam Doueihi