Blues teammates pick their Origin halfback

Good mates and former Blues team-mates Damien Cook and Dale Finucane agree on most things but they have differing views on who should fill the Westpac NSW Blues No.7 jersey for Game Two on 21 June after the hamstring injury to Nathan Cleary.

Unsurprisingly both players followed club lines – Cook backing his former South Sydney teammate Adam Reynolds, while Finucane opted for his Cronulla-Sutherland skipper Nicho Hynes.

Hynes was on the bench in Game One has been in coach Brad Fittler’s extended Origin squad for both the 2021 and 2022 series.

Reynolds played two Origin games in 2016, but now plies his trade with the Brisbane Broncos who currently sit on top of the NRL table with Penrith.

“He’s a big-game player; experienced; great kicking game,” Cook said on Tuesday after Rabbitohs training.

“He knows Suncorp well and he does with all his play up there. He’s performed, and he’s proved himself – playing some really good footy right now.

“The thing he’s doing up there at the moment is he’s bringing the best out of the players around him.”

Cook played six seasons with Reynolds before he left for the Broncos. Cody Walker, another Rabbitohs and True Blue half, has been chiming in nicely with Cook in club land, which has strengthened calls for the South Sydney brigade to get back together for NSW.

“Look we’re playing some good footy here at South Sydney with combinations that have been built over a long time,” he said.

“The talk of ‘Reno’ being back in Origin is off the back off how well he’s doing with Brisbane, and what he’s done with that team up there as well.

“He’s been in that (Blues) jersey before so he knows what it’s all about. He’d do a great job and if he did (get recalled) and other combinations come off the back of that … obviously we spent some time together.

“In saying that Nicho probably wasn’t used how Freddy wanted to use him in the first place.

“He’s been playing some great footy for over a year now in that No.7 jersey.

“Selectors have a big job on their hands but whoever gets in that jersey will make sure they keep the series alive.”

Later on NRL 360 Cook joined fellow True Blue Dale Finucane to discuss the question on every Blues fans lips.

“I’m biased as I’m picking Nicho Hynes. But in saying that I feel like it’s really deserved – he’s obviously the current Dally M medallist and I thought he was unlucky to miss out on the 24-man Kangaroos squad the back end of last year,” Finucane said.

“I feel like he’s the best player in that position at the moment and deserves his opportunity.

“He’s similar to Nathan in having that calming leadership style about him. I know there’s been questions about throwing him to the wolves up in Brisbane.

“It’s a hard thing to do but if anyone can deal with it, he can handle the tough situations.”