State of Origin is still more than five months away but NSW coach Laurie Daley has given his first selection insight, declaring Jarryd Hayne, Matt Moylan and James Tedesco will be picked.
Daley faces a welcome headache trying to squeeze the superstar trio into his team, but the biggest question for the post-Paul Gallen era remains who will wear the No.1 jersey next year.
![New view: NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley at the Blues' training base in Kingscliff.](/web/20161209220900im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/7/r/s/5/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gt7r21.png/1481257166924.jpg)
Tedesco is the Blues fullback incumbent, while Moylan helped guide NSW to victory in game three in what was his first outing in the No.6 jersey.
But in Hayne's last season before leaving rugby league for the NFL, he was instrumental in ending Queensland's long-standing dominance and was named the player of the series.
Speaking at the team's new training base in Kingscliff, Daley was pressed on how he would squeeze them into the starting side.
"You find a position for them," Daley said on Friday.
"If they're all playing their best, you'd think you have to find a position for them. There's a lot of pressure on all spots, and that's the key for us, and why I'm so excited about where we're going next year, it's the first time we've got plenty of depth in all the positions ... you'll have Tom Trbojevic there at some point as well. He's a future fullback in rep footy.
"It will all depend on how they're playing. We did it last year with 'Moyza' in game three, we played him at five-eighth, Jarryd has played centre and wing for Australia and wing for NSW. This far out it's hard to read into it, other than to say if they're all fit and well and playing to their potential they'll be hard to leave out."
Hayne showed glimpses of his best in his brief stint for the Gold Coast Titans at the end of last year, but wasn't the same player who left the sport to pursue his American dream.
Daley said Hayne's end-of-season cameo would be hugely beneficial for the Titans and the Blues.
"It will be easier now than if he had left it until this year to come back. He had six games, plus an off-season, so I think he'll be OK," Daley said.
"I saw him at Gold Coast airport when he first came back. I've left him alone. I'll speak to him in the new year, have a chat and see where he's at and hopefully he's keen to be a part of it still.
"If he gets back to his best, it will be great to welcome him. He has other guys there who are playing well and in there pushing.
The Blues have moved away from their Coffs Harbour camp and will be spending time just south of the Queensland border in Kingscliff leading into games one and three in Brisbane.
Moylan's performance in game three last year has allayed any concerns over his ability to handle the unfamiliar five-eighth position, with Daley backing the Panthers skipper to get the job done again.
"I think he plays likes a half anyhow at his club, he's always up in the line and getting in as a first receiver or second receiver," Daley said.
"The only difference is he defends at fullback rather than in the line. But what we saw from game three last year, he puts his body on the line, and it wouldn't worry me to select him in the halves again."
Moylan's club teammate Nathan Cleary was recently selected in the Blues emerging squad, but controversially there was no room for Tigers sensation Mitch Moses.
"Cleary is more of a long-term project, but who knows – you get a few injuries and he's playing well, who knows. But on face value he's more down the track rather than next year.
"[Mitch] still needs to do a little bit of work. He needs to keep working and do a bit more. That's the simple answer."
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