Laurie Daley will name his New South Wales team for Game 1 of the State of Origin series at 7.30am on Monday, with the biggest call centering on which of James Tedesco or Dylan Edwards gets the starting fullback role.
Both men have been in fine form to start the year, but Daley has already made one thing clear: only one of them will be in the starting team. The other could still be named on the extended bench as cover, leaving the Blues with a rare selection dilemma heading into the opening match.
The decision matters because fullback is one of the most influential positions in Origin, and Daley's choice will shape how the Blues begin Game 1. With both players having started the season strongly, the call is less about form than fit, and about which style Daley wants at the back for the series opener.
That is what gives Monday morning its edge. The NSW coach is set to settle a debate that has followed the Blues into the build-up to the opening game, and the answer will tell the rest of the squad which direction the side is going before the series even kicks off.
For Tedesco and Edwards, the wait ends early, and for Daley, the first major selection call of the campaign arrives before most of Sydney is properly awake. By 7.30am, NSW will know who starts at fullback and whether the other player remains part of the match-day plans.
