Ethan Strange has shaken off an ankle injury in time to feature on NSW’s team sheet for the State of Origin decider.
The Blues had set Monday as D-Day for Strange, who has been fighting to prove his fitness since rolling his ankle at training on Thursday.
The Canberra playmaker, excellent on debut in the series opener, has undergone extensive treatment on his left ankle and has been walking with ease in recent days.
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He managed to run at training at Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane on Monday, completing the Blues’ penultimate session of camp.
NSW were satisfied the 21-year-old would be fit to hold his place on the six-man bench as the series goes on the line at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday.
Matt Burton had been on stand-by to replace Strange but returns to Sydney on Monday to continue preparations for Canterbury’s clash with Canberra.
The news is a welcome boost for NSW, who lost Mitch Moses and Casey McLean to injuries in the days ahead of games one and two, respectively.
Strange was close to the Blues’ best player replacing the injured Moses as NSW pulled off the greatest comeback in Origin history to win game one.
“You’ve seen what he did in game one,” Blues prop Mitch Barnett said before training on Monday.
“I just think he’s a footballer, when given an opportunity to play anywhere on the field, he delivers. He’s an important piece of the puzzle.”
Strange may not be deployed from the six-man bench on Wednesday, but will be relied upon in the event of an injury to starting halves Nathan Cleary and Moses.
He came on for a late cameo in the Blues’ game-two loss.
Blues teammates had always been privately hopeful Strange would be fine to play
“The ankle, I’m not a doctor but I’ve had a couple of them, they’re pretty easy to strap and that sort of thing,” Barnett said.
“I think it’s a bit different if you’re going a hamstring or soft tissue sort of thing. But he just rolled his ankle.”
