Vodafone Warriors prop Jacob Lillyman and six Brisbane Broncos players will miss Saturday night’s 12th-round NRL clash after today being named in the Queensland team for State of Origin I at Suncorp Stadium on May 31.
Lillyman was in the Maroons’ series-winning side last year when he lifted his Origin career tally to 13 appearances.
His selection means he’ll be unable to line up against the Broncos in the Vodafone Warriors’ heritage clash at Mount Smart Stadium (7.30pm).
Brisbane has had six players included in the play 17 (Johnathan Thurston has been named as 18th man and is considered an outside chance of playing).
Darius Boyd claims the fullback position with Melbourne’s Billy Slater not included by Maroons coach Kevin Walters.
The other Brisbane players included are wing Corey Oates, standoff Anthony Milford, second rower Matt Gillett, loose forward Josh McGuire and interchange forward Sam Thaiday.
Walters has ushered in a new wave of Maroons while at the same time sticking solid with some familiar faces.
Milford and Dylan Napa are both in line to make their Origin debuts next week with the knee injury to Nate Myles suffered against the Titans last week not serious enough to put his place in the team in doubt.
Milford has won a contentious battle to wear the Maroons' famous No 6 jersey, chosen ahead of Michael Morgan, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cameron Munster and Corey Norman for the right to partner Cooper Cronk in the halves.
2017 STATE OF ORIGIN 1
QUEENSLAND MAROONS
1 DARIUS BOYD (BRISBANE BRONCOS)
2 COREY OATES (BRISBANE BRONCOS)
3 WILL CHAMBERS (MELBOURNE STORM)
4 JUSTIN O'NEILL (NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS)
5 DANE GAGAI (NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS)
6 ANTHONY MILFORD (BRISBANE BRONCOS)
7 COOPER CRONK (MELBOURNE STORM)
8 DYLAN NAPA (SYDNEY ROOSTERS)
9 CAMERON SMITH (c) (MELBOURNE STORM)
10 NATE MYLES (MANLY SEA EAGLES)
11 JOSH PAPALII (CANBERRA RAIDERS)
12 MATT GILLETT (BRISBANE BRONCOS)
13 JOSH MCGUIRE (BRISBANE BRONCOS)
Interchange:
14 MICHAEL MORGAN (NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS)
15 SAM THAIDAY (BRISBANE BRONCOS)
16 AIDAN GUERRA (SYDNEY ROOSTERS)
17 JACOB LILLYMAN (VODAFONE WARRIORS)
18 JOHNATHAN THURSTON (NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS)
COACH | KEVIN WALTERS
